LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

GIFT  OF 


ClrLvvs, J- 

''  1       tfo^- 


Oass 

M   (~ 


SECONDARY  ACCENT 

IN 

MODERN  ENGLISH  VERSE, 

(CHAUCKR   TO    DRYDKN.) 

A  DISSERTATION 

SUBMITTED  TO  THE    BOARD   OF  UNIVERSITY   STUDIES  OF  THE 

JOHNS    HOPKINS   UNIVERSITY  IN  CONFORMITY   WITH 

THE  REQUIREMENTS  FOR  THE  DEGREE  OF 

DOCTOR   OF   PHILOSOPHY, 

19O4. 

BY 

RAYMOND  DURBIN  MILLER. 


BALTIMORE  : 

J.    H.   FURST    COMPANY, 
1904. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 


[It  has  been  found  impracticable  to  attempt  to  give  an  exhaustive 
bibliography  on  English  Metre.  For  more  copious  bibliographical 
lists  the  reader  may  be  referred  to  the  volumes  of  Schipper,  to  Gayley 
and  Scott's  Methods  and  Materials  of  literary  Criticism,  pp.  459— 
487,  and  to  T.  S.  Omond's  English  Metrists,  pp.  55-120.  The  fol- 
lowing list  will  be  restricted  to  those  books  which  are  either  very  recent 
or  very  pertinent  to  the  present  study.] 

Abbott,  E.  A.     A  Shakespearian  Grammar.     London,  1888. 
Abbott  and  Seeley.     English  Lessons  for  English  People.     London, 

1898. 
Alden,  R.  M.     English  Verse,  Specimens  illustrating  its  Principles  and 

History.     New  York,  1903. 

Review  :  E.  P.  Morton,  Mod.  Lang.  Notes  xvin,  174-6. 
Bridges,  Robert.     Milton's  Prosody.     Oxford,  1894. 
Bright,    James   "VV.      '  *  Concerning    Grammatical    Ictus    in    English 

Verse,"     An  English  Miscellany,  p.  23.     Oxford,  1901. 
"Proper  Names  in  Old  English  Verse."     Pub.   Mod.  Lang. 

Asso.  of  America  xiv,  pp.  347-368  (1899). 
Brink,   Bernhard  ten.      Chaucer's  Sprache  und  Verskunst.     Leipzig, 

1884.     Second  ed.  revised  by  F.  Kluge,  trans,  by  M.  B.  Smith. 

London,  1901. 
History  of  English  Literature,  vol.  n,  part  u,  trans,  by  L.  Dora 

Schmitz.     New  York,  1896. 

Brown,  G.  D.    Syllabification  and  Accent  in  the  Paradise  Lost.     Balti- 
more, 1901. 

Corson,  Hiram.     A  Primer  of  English  Verse.     Boston,  1892. 
Courthope,  W.   J.     A  History  of  English  Poetry,  4  vols.     London, 

1895-. 
Van  Dam,  B.  A.  P.,  and  C.  Stoffel.      William  Shakespeare,  Prosody 

and  Text.     Leyden,  1900. 
Ellis,  A.  J.    On  Early  English  Pronunciation,  5  parts,  Chaucer  Society 

Pub.     London,  1869-1889. 

Essentials  of  Phonetics.     London,  1848. 

Two  papers  in  Transactions  Philological  Society,  1876,  pp.  435- 

440,  456-469. 

iii 

144045 


iv  Bibliography. 

Elste,    Emil.      Der  Blankvers  in   den   Dramen    George    Chapmans. 

Halle,  1892. 
Goeders,    Christian.      Zur  Analogiebildung  im  Mittel-  und  Neueng- 

lischen.     Kiel,  1884. 
Goodell,  Thomas  Dwight.    Chapters  on  Greek  Metric.    New  York,  1902. 

"  Quantity  in  English  Verse."     Trans.  Am.  Phil.  Asso.  xvi,  78. 

Gummere,  Francis  B.     Handbook  of  Poetics.     Boston,  1885. 

The  Beginnings  of  Poetry.     New  York  and  London,  1901. 

Guest,  Edwin  A.     A  History  of  English  Rhythms,  a  new  edition  by 

W.  W.  Skeat.     London,  1882. 

Hall  and  Jastrow.      "Studies  of  Rhythm."     Mind  xi,  61  (1886). 
Hirt,  Herman.     Der  Indogermanisehe  Akzent.     Strassburg,  1895. 
Huguenin,  Julian.    Secondary  Stress  in  Anglo-Saxon.    Baltimore,  1901. 
Hunt,  Leigh.     Imagination  and  Fancy.     London,  1844. 
Hurst  and  McKay.      ' '  Experiments  on  Time  Relations  of  Poetical 

Metres."     Univ.  Toronto  Studies  (Psych.  Series)  1900,  157. 
Jenkin,  Fleming.    ' '  On  Rhythm  in  English  Verse. ' '    Papers,  Literary, 

Scientific,  etc.     Edited  by  S.  Colvin  and  J.  A.  Ewing.     London, 

1887. 
Johnson,  Samuel.     Essays  on  Milton's  Verse,  Rambler,  1871,  Nos. 

86,  88,  90,  94. 

Kastner,  L.  E.     A  History  of  French  Versification.     Oxford,  1903. 
Kawczinski,    Max.     Essai  Comparatif  sur  V  Origine  et  r  Histoire  des 

Rhythmes.     Paris,  1889. 

Review  :  F.  M.  Warren.  Am.  Journ.  Philol.  XL,  358-371. 
Knaut,  Carl.  Uber  die  Metrik  Robert  Greene's.  Halle,  1890. 
Konig,  Goswin.  Der  Vers  in  Shakspere's  Dramen.  Quellen  und 

Forschungen  LXI,  Strassburg,  1888. 
Kroder,    Armin.     Schelleys  Verskunst.       Miinchner  Beitrage  xxvn, 

1903. 

Lanier,  Sidney.     Science  of  English  Verse.     New  York,  1880. 
Lewis,  C.  M.      The  Foreign  Sources  of  Modern  English  Versification. 

Halle,  1898. 
Liddell,  Mark  H.     An  Introduction  to  the  Scientific  Study  of  English 

Poetry.     New  York,  1902. 
Reviews:  More,  P.  E.      "Rhythm  and  the  Science  of  Poetry." 

Sewanee  Review  x,  4. 

Morton,  E.  P.     Mod.  Lang.  Notes  xiv,  431-434. 
Lindsay,  W.  M.      "The  Saturnian  Metre."     American  Journal  of 

Philology  xvi,  139-170,  304-334. 


Bibliography.  v 

Lloyd,  R.  J.  Northern  English :  Phonetics,  Grammar,  Texts.  Lon- 
don, 1899. 

March,  F.  A.     Latin  Hymns  ivith  English  Notes.     New  York,  1874. 

Masson,  David.      The  Poetical  Works  of  John  Milton.     London,  1874. 
Seconded.  1890,  3  vols. 
-  Essay  on  Milton's  Versification,  vol.  in,  pp.  107-137. 

Mayor,  Joseph  B.      Chapters  on  English  Metre.     Cambridge,  1901. 

A  Handbook  of  Modern  English  Metre.     Cambridge,  1903. 

McNary,  Sarah  J.     Studies  in  Layamon's  Verse.     Baltimore,  1904. 

Millar,  J.  H.     A  Literary  History  of  Scotland.     New  York,  1903. 

Miller,  C.  W.  E.  ' '  Rhythmical  Pronunciation  of  Greek  and  Latin 
Prose,  and  a  few  remarks  on  Accent."  J.  H.  U.  Circulars, 
July,  1884,  p.  125. 

"The  Relation  of  the  Rhythm  of  Poetry  to  that  of  the  Spoken 

Language  with  especial  Reference  to  Ancient  Greek. ' '     Studies  in 
Honor  of  Basil  L.  Gildersleeve,  pp.  497-511.     Baltimore,  1902. 

Omond,  T.  S.     A  Study  of  Metre.     London,  1903. 

English  Metrists.     Cambridge,  1903. 

Poe,  E.  A.  The  Rationale  of  Verse.  Vol.  I,  pp.  214-258.  Works, 
4  vols.  New  York,  1880. 

Robertson,  John  M.  New  Essays  toward  a  Critical  Method.  Appen- 
dix. London,  1897. 

Schipper,  J.     Englische  Metrik,  2  vols.     Bonn,  1881-88. 

Grundriss  der  Englischen  Metrik.    Wein  und  Leipzig,  1895. 

Schlicher,  John  J.       The  Origin  of  Rhythmical  Verse  in  Late  Latin. 

Chicago,  1900. 
Schmidt,  J.  H.  H.     Introduction  to  the  Rhythmic  and  Metric  of  the 

Classical  Languages.     Trans,  by  J.  W.  White.     Boston,  1878. 
Scholten,  Wilhelm  von.     Metrische  Untersuchungen  zu  John  Marstons 

Trauerspielen.     Halle,  1886. 
Schulz,  Otto.    Uber  den  Blankvers  in  den  Dramen  Thomas  Middleton's. 

Halle,  1892. 
Setzler,  Edwin  B.      On  Anglo-Saxon  Versification  from  the  Standpoint 

of  Modern- English  Versification.     Baltimore,  1904. 
Sievers,  E.     Zur  Rhythmik  des  Germanischen  Alliterationsverses.     Paul 

and  Braune  Zeit.  x,  210-314,  451-545.     Halle,  1883. 

Altgermanisehe  Metrik.     Halle,  1893. 

Grundzuge  der  Phonetik.     Leipzig,  1885. 

Skeat,  W.  W.     "On  the  Scansion  of  English  Poetry."     Trans.  Phil. 

Soc.,  1898,  pp.  484-503. 


vi  Bibliography. 

Skeat,  W.  W.     The  Complete  Works  of  Geoffrey  Chaucer,   G  vols. 

Oxford,  1894.      Versification  vol.  vi,  pp.  Ixxxii-xcvii. 
Smith,  George  Gregory.      The  Transition  Period.     Edinburgh,  1900. 
Stevenson,  R.  L.     ' '  On  Style  in  Literature. ' '     Contemp.  Rev.  XLVII, 

553. 

Sweet,  Henry.     New  English  Grammar,  2  vols.     Oxford,  1892-98. 
Symonds,  J.  A.     Blank  Verse.     London,  1895. 
Tamson,  Geo.  J.      Word  Stress  in  English.     Studien  zur  Englischen 

Philologie  in.    Halle,  1898. 

Thomas,  W.     De  Epico  apud  Joannum  Miltonium  Versu.    Paris,  1901. 
Wackernagel,  P.     Das  deutsehe  Kirchenlied  v.  d.  altesten  Zeit  bis  zu 

Anfang  des  17ten  Jahrhunderts.     5  Bde,     Leipzig,  1864. 
Wallin,  J.  E.  Wallace.     Researches  in  the  Rhythm  of  Speech.     Stud. 

Yale  Psych.  Lab.  ix,  1901. 
Wilke,  Wilhelm.     Metrische  Untersuchungen  zu  Ben  Jonson.     Halle, 

1884. 


I   UNIVERSITY  I 

^SfijO^Rj^X 

I.     INTRODUCTION 


It  is  my  purpose  to  trace  the  use  that  has  been  made  of  the 
secondary  accent  for  ictus  by  our  English  poets  from  Chaucer  to 
Dry  den,  and  to  show  that  the  accentual  resources  of  the  language 
have  been  adequate  to  the  needs  of  the  poet,  without  recourse  to 
the  so-called  "  inversions  "  and  "  trochaic  substitutions "  of  the 
metrist.  No  irregularity  in  the  position  of  the  ictus  is,  therefore, 
either  necessary  or  admissible.  Legitimate  inversion  of  the  first 
foot,  or  of  the  foot  immediately  following  a  marked  caesura,  is 
not,  however,  to  be  considered  a  violation  of  this  regularity. 

The  present  study  may  be  considered  one  of  a  series  of  investiga- 
tions suggested  by  Professor  James  W.  Bright,  in  his  papers l  and 
lectures.  The  first  of  these  investigations,  a  dissertation  by  the 
late  Dr.  Julian  Huguenin,  has  determined  the  extent  to  which  the 
secondary  accent  is  employed  for  ictus  in  Anglo-Saxon  verse.2 
In  his  dissertation,  Syllabification  and  Accent  in  the  Paradise  Lost, 
Baltimore,  1901,  Dr.  G.  D.  Brown  has  applied  to  the  scansion  of 
Milton's  verse  the  principle  that  secondary  accent  is  available  for 
ictus.  No  attempt,  however,  has  yet  been  made  to  carry  out  the 
investigation  suggested  by  Professor  Bright :"....  for  the 
historical  study  of  English  rhythm  he  [Sievers]  has  made  the 
right  beginning.  But,  although  Sievers  has  opened  the  way,  no 

1  "Proper  Names  in  Old  English  Verse."     Pub.  Mod.  Lang.  Asso.  of  America, 
xrv,  pp.   347-368.     "Concerning  Grammatical  Ictus  in  English  Verse."     An 
English  Miscellany,  Oxford,  1901,  pp.  22-33. 

2  Secondary  Stress  in  Anglo-Saxon,  Baltimore,  1901.    ' '  In  the  present  study  the  posi- 
tion and  nature  of  secondary  accent  in  Anglo-Saxon  has  been  investigated  by  means  of 
metrical  criteria.     By  this  method  the  range  of  secondary  accent  has,  I  think,  been 
definitely  fixed  for  a  period  extending  from  a  date  considerably  antecedent  to  the 
poetical  monuments  until  about  the  time  of  ^Elfric."  .  .  .     "The  chief  gain  by  my 
work  is,  I  hope,  the  establishment  of  a  terminus  in  Anglo-Saxon  from  which  the 
development  of  secondary  accent  may  be  traced  historically  through  later  Eng- 
lish" (p.  36). 


2  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

one  has  hitherto  consistently  and  completely  pursued  the  rhythmic 
function  of  secondary  word-accents  along  the  entire  course  of  Eng- 
lish versification  "  (Proper  Names,  p.  357). 

The  need  of  a  more  scientific  investigation  of  the  laws  of  Eng- 
lish verse  is  obvious  to  anyone  familiar  with  the  conflicting  opinions 
of  modern  metrists.  "  One  cannot  read  the  poetry  of  the  day  or 
the  criticisms  upon  it  without  being  struck  by  the  confusion  which 
prevails  with  regard  to  this  subject/7  says  a  writer  in  the  Contem- 
porary Review.1  "  There  is  no  fixed  use  of  terms,  no  full  agreement 
on  some  of  the  simplest  elements  of  the  science,"  writes  Professor 
Gummere.2  Concrete  illustration  seems  needless  here;  a  mere 
register  of  names  would  call  to  mind  a  medley  of  widely  divergent 
opinions  upon  every  phase  of  the  question.  In  such  a  plight  it  is 
but  natural  that  the  average  handbook  should  endeavor  to  avoid 
controversial  entanglements  by  presenting  the  subject  in  the  white 
light  of  an  unprejudiced  lack  of  opinion  on  matters  open  to  dis- 
pute.3 This  attitude  seems,  therefore,  to  warrant  the  rather 
sweeping  judgment  of  Professor  Goodell,  "  For  these  two  modern 
languages  [English  and  German]  the  theory  of  metric  is  little 
better  than  chaos  "  (p.  20). 

More  serious,  however,  than  the  present  lack  of  any  true  science 
of  English  verse  is  the  widespread  feeling  that  no  science  is  needed. 
"  But  whether  one  holds  a  right  or  a  wrong  theory  or  none  what- 
ever," continues  Professor  Goodell,  "  all  readers  alike, — if  only 
they  have  a  vernacular  command  of  the  language,  and  at  the  same 

1  Wm.  Larminie,  The  Development  of  English  Metres,  Nov.  1894,  p.  717. 

3  Handbook  of  Poetics,  p.  133. 

'Bridges:  "I  have  refrained  from  attempting  to  give  any  explanation  of  the 
laws  of  English  verse "  (p.  5).  "  I  chose  the  term  [elision]  ....  because  I  did 
not  wish  to  imply  any  theory  of  prosody"  (p.  49).  "I  avoided  the  question  of 
pronunciation  in  my  tract,  because  I  am  not  qualified  to  give  any  opinion  on  the 
subject"  (p.  61). 

Mayor,  Handbook:  "  My  chief  object  ....  is  to  give  a  methodical  and  uncon- 
troversial  statement  of  ....  principles  .  .  .  ."  (p.  v. ).  "  Since  then  [Guest, 
1838]  there  has  been  a  kind  of  epidemic  of  metrical  theories,  mostly  ignoring  or 
contradicting  one  another  "  (p.  v.) . 

Alden  :  "  Dealing  with  a  subject  where  theories  are  almost  as  numerous  as  those 
who  have  written  on  it,  it  has  been  my  purpose  to  avoid  the  setting  forth  of  my 
own  opinions,  and  to  present  the  subject-matter  in  a  way  suited,  so  far  as  possible, 
to  the  use  of  those  holding  widely  divergent  views  "  (p.  v.). 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  3 

time  understand  the  meaning  and  are  not  specially  deficient  in 
taste, — read  the  same  verses  in  substantially  the  same  rhythm." 
From  this  view  one  must  dissent  unless  a  very  wide  latitude  be 
given  the  expression  '  substantially  the  same  rhythm.7  Professor 
Goodell  is  interested  in  the  thesis  that  the  rhythm  of  Greek  verse 
was  that  "  which  the  untrained  speaker  naturally  gave  the  lines  in 
reciting  them/7  The  problem  for  modern  English  verse  is  different. 
Greek  metrists  seek  to  throw  light  on  the  pronunciation  of  classical 
Greek  prose  from  the  accepted  theory  of  Greek  verse,1  English 
metrists  would  determine  the  scansion  of  English  verse  from  the 
accepted  pronunciation  of  modern  English  prose.  The  latter 
method  is  faulty  for  the  following  reasons : 

1.  The  ictus  essential  to  the  rhythm  of  English  verse  does  not 
always  coincide  with  the  emphatic  and  logical  stresses  of  the  prose 
sentence.    When  the  feeling  for  these  emphatic  and  logical  stresses 
is  paramount,  the  ictus  must  yield,  and  correct  scansion  becomes 
impossible. 

2.  Modern  prose  usage  tends  more  and  more  to  neglect  the 
subsidiary  stresses,  both  in  words  and  in  phrases,  upon  which  the 
rhythm  of  verse  very  largely  depends.     "  It  is  noteworthy,"  says 
Professor  Bright,  "  that  the  modern  ear  is  becoming  dull  to  dis- 
tinctions of  subordinate  stress.    Our  excellent  English  dictionaries 
report,  as  a  rule,  but  the  one  dominant  word-stress,  and  ignore  the 
rhythmic  balance  of  the  polysyllables,  as  well  as  the  vernacular 
consciousness  of  values  attaching  to  formative  and  derivative  ele- 
ments.   As  a  consequence  of  this  neglect,  in  grammars,  dictionaries, 
and  works  on  versification,  to  note  the  historic  transmission  of 
secondary  stresses,  the  secrets  of  the  poet's  art  (for  the  poet's  finer 
ear  in  his  guide)  are  becoming  obscured  to  the  general  reader  of 
verse.     The  prevailing  manner  in  which  poetry  is  now  read  aloud 
is  so  far  from  representing  (on  the  formal  side)  the  process  of  its 

1  Dr.  C.  W.  E.  Miller  states  the  problem  thus  :  "  The  question  now  arises  as  to 
how  we  are  to  get  at  the  correct  pronunciation  of  classic  Greek  prose.  We  have 
seen  above  that  ictus  in  verse  is  governed  by  the  same  principle  as  ictus  in  prose. 
Hence,  if  we  know  the  principle  that  governs  ictus  in  verse,  we  know  that  which 
governs  ictus  in  prose,"  J.  H.  U.  Circulars,  July,  1884,  p.  125.  Or  again, 
"  Under  normal  conditions  the  rhythm  of  poetry  is  based  upon  the  rhythm  of  the  spoken 
language.1' —Studies  in  Honor  of  Basil  L.  Gttderskeve,  1902,  p.  499. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 


construction,  that  the  door  has  been  thrown  wide  open  for  the 
ready  admission  of  unnatural  and  fantastic  theories  of  versifica- 
tion "  (English  Miscellany,  p.  25). 

The  fruit  of  this  faulty  method  may  be  found  in  any  handbook 
of  English  metre.  The  following  table  illustrates  the  lawlessness 
that  exists  with  regard  to  the  number  and  position  of  accents  in 
English  heroic  verse.1 


ACCENTS. 

NON-CAESTJRAL,  INVERSIONS. 

Min.  No. 

Max.  No. 

Double. 

Medial. 

Final. 

Bridges  
Ellis  

pp.  19-21. 
pp.  81  ft". 

Rambler, 

Nos.  86, 
88,90,94. 

iii.p.116. 
pp.  331ff. 

3 
3 
5 
Subjective. 

5 

5 
5 
3 
3 
5 
Subjective, 
o 
Subjective. 

5 

8 
5 
Subjective. 

5 

5 
5 

8 
8 
5 
Subjective, 
o 
Subjective. 

allowed. 

a. 

it 

Subjective. 

allowed. 

allowed. 
« 

« 

possible. 
Subjective, 
possible. 
Subjective. 

allowed. 
« 

u 
Subjective. 

allowed. 

it 
n 
n 
it 
« 

Subjective, 
allowed. 
Subjective. 

doubtful, 
allowed. 

Subjective, 
allowed. 

doubtful. 

allowed. 
it 

« 
fi 

Subjective, 
forbidden. 
Subjective. 

Guest 

Hunt  
Johnson.... 
Konig 

Lanier 

Masson  
Mayor  
Poe  

Robertson.. 
Schipper... 
Symonds... 

If  we  accept  the  subjective  aestheticism  of  Symonds,  Hunt,  and 
Robertson,  no  science  of  verse  is  necessary  ;  if  we  allow  the  licenses 
of  Bridges,  Masson,  and  Ellis,  none  is  possible.  Laws  of  versifica- 
tion are  not  shackles  to  poetic  freedom,  but  rather  the  tools  with 
which  the  poet  works.  It  is  the  business  of  the  metrist,  not  to 
make  such  laws,  but  to  discover  them.  And  the  terra  incognita 
of  his  quest  is  the  great  body  of  English  verse,  not  as  he  imagines 
it  ought  to  be,  but  as  it  truly  is.  A  true  science  of  English  verse 
is  possible  only  when  to  a  correct  theory  of  the  essential  element 
of  verse  there  is  brought  an  adequate  knowledge  of  the  language, 
with  especial  reference  to  the  historical  development  of  all  its 
metrical  possibilities. 

1  For  the  material  for  this  table  I  am  largely  indebted  to  the  dissertation  of  Dr. 
G.  D.  Brown,  pp.  1-33.  Where  it  is  possible  I  have  given  the  pages  of  the  books 
cited.  In  other  cases  the  statements  are  scattered. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  5 

Before  we  can  hope  for  any  real  progress  toward  the  solution  of 
this  problem  the  metrist  must  assume  a  different  attitude  toward 
both  the  language  and  the  poet.  He  has  thus  far  failed  to  under- 
stand either.  Not  content  to  approach  verse  as  a  matter  of  mere 
technique,  leaving  it  to  the  poet  to  triumph  over  the  difficulties  of 
his  medium,  he  must  modify  the  scansion  according  to  his  own 
linguistic  and  aesthetic  prepossessions.  He  has  become  an  elocu- 
tionist, not  a  scientist.  For  he  has  not  learned  the  fundamental 
canon  of  his  science,  namely :  That  the  regular  recurrence  of 
accented  syllables  in  English  verse  is  a  mechanical  matter  not  in 
itself  dependent  on  the  sense  the  syllables  convey.  Consistent  agree- 
ment of  rhythm  and  sense  is  the  perfection  of  art ;  the  mastery  of 
the  poet  lies  not,  therefore,  in  contempt  of  metrical  forms,  but  in 
their  more  subtle  use. 

The  offspring  of  this  attitude  of  the  metrist  is  his  favorite 
dogma  of  variety.  He  chooses  some  such  monotonous  line  as, 

/  -;,  'A  '  a'~ 

And  swims,  or  sinks,  or  wades,  or  creeps,  or  flies 

as  the  typical  heroic  line,  and  then  admits  for  variety  such  lines  as 

/  /  /.  / 

Before  thy  fellows,  ambitious  to  win. 

With  whom  Alcmena  played,  but  naught  witting. 

He  not  for  his  own  self  caring  but  her. 

/  II  II 

As  the  God  of  my  life.     Why  hath  he  me  abhorred  ? 

Gray  crickets  and  shy  lizards  and  quick  spiders. 

If  this  is  verse  we  have  been  writing  it  all  our  lives  without  know- 
ing it.  Such  a  scansion  produces,  not  variety,  but  chaos.  It 
leaves  the  poet  utterly  helpless.  He  has  cast  his  lines  in  the 
mould  of  a  recognized  form,  in  the  belief  that  that  form  will 
reproduce  the  subtle  cadences  which  shall  raise  his  verse  above  the 
common  level  of  prose.  He  finds  that  the  metrist,  with  his  pre- 
conceived notions  about  variety,  has  destroyed  the  possibility  of 
numberless  truly  rhythmic  combinations  for  a  crude  inversion 
whose  utmost  range  cannot  exceed  ten  varieties. 


6  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

I  shall  discuss  later  the  legitimate  methods  employed  by  the 
poet  to  secure  variety.  My  concern  here  is  to  emphasize  what  I 
conceive  to  be  the  contradictory  points  of  view  of  the  poet  and  the 
metrist.  The  poet,  as  a  creator,  is  first  of  all  concerned  about  the 
form  of  his  work,  and  only  secondarily  about  his  raw  material, 
the  language,  which  he  freely  adapts  to  his  use.  The  metrist,  as 
a  critic,  is  first  of  all  concerned  about  the  raw  material,  .the  lan- 
guage, and  only  secondarily  about  the  form.  A  trivial  example 
will  make  this  clear.  Konig  (p.  80),  in  his  scansion  of  the  line, 

Unarm,  Eros ;  the  long  day's  task  is  done, 

makes  an  inversion  of  the  second  foot.  There  would  likewise  be 
the  same  need  of  a  final  inversion  in  the  line, 

'  I  am  conqueror  of  myself.'     Thou  art  sworn,  Eros. 

It  seems  more  probable,  however,  that  Shakespeare's  attitude  toward 
the  pronunciation  of  the  word  was  hardly  more  serious  than  Brown- 
ing's in  the  following  impromptu  lines  : 

If  you  should  meet  a  rhinoceros, 

And  a  tree  be  in  sight, 

Climb  quick,  for  his  might 
Is  a  match  for  the  gods ;  he  can  toss  Eros.1 

In  this  difference  between  poet  and  critic  we  seem  to  have 
reached  an  impassable  gulf.  The  metrist,  who  usually  belongs  to 
Puttenham's  category  of  "  grave  moral  men  but  very  bad  poets," 
rarely  approaches  the  poetic  product  in  the  same  spirit  of  abandon- 
ment that  actuated  the  poet  when  the  "  fine  frenzy  "  was  on  him. 
The  difficulty  is,  however,  not  insuperable.  The  poet  in  his  most 
inspired  flights  keeps  within  fixed  limits ;  he  unconsciously  obeys 
the  accentual  laws  of  his  language.  When  the  metrist  shall  under- 
stand just  what  those  laws  are,  and  combine  with  this  knowledge 
a  more  sympathetic  conception  of  the  poet's  overmastering  feeling 
for  rhythm,  the  gulf  will  disappear,  and  poet  and  critic  will  be  one. 


1  Alfred  Lord  Tennyson,  A  Memoir  by  his  Son.      The  Macmillan  Co.,  1897, 
vol.  H,  p.  230. 


II.     PRINCIPLES  OF   ENGLISH  VERSIFICATION. 


The  essential  element  of  verse  is  a  rhythm  which  must  find  its 
ultimate  analysis  in  terms  of  physical  science.  This  rhythm  may 
be  variously  attained,  but  always  it  is  a  matter  of  regularly  recur- 
ring, or  expected,  time  intervals  marked  off  by  some  familiar 
peculiarity  of  the  spoken  language.  In  English  verse  this  pecu- 
liarity is  word-accent.  The  regularly  recurring  beat  of  the  rhythmic 
accent,  or  ictus,  divides  the  line  into  its  accustomed  number  of  equal 
time  intervals,  or  feet.  Nothing  but  accent  can  produce  the  rhythm, 
because  nothing  else  is  expected.  No  fiction  of  isochronous  periods 
that  do  not  always  coincide  with  the  ictus  will  avail,  because  the 
rhythmizing  sense  is  incapable  of  shifting  at  need  between  two 
rhythm  "  markers."  l  The  peculiar  character  of  any  species  of 
verse  will  depend  upon  the  number  of  its  feet,  the  number  of  the 
syllables  within  the  feet,2  and  the  position  of  the  ictus  among  these 
syllables.  Any  irregularity,  if  unexpected,  is  subversive  of  rhythm. 
If,  however,  this  irregularity  belongs  in  the  scheme  of  a  larger 
rhythmic  series,  it  becomes  expected,  and  therefore  rhythmic. 

In  general,  it  may  be  premised  that  the  chief  word-accents  of 
a  verse  will  immediately  reveal  its  rhythm.  This  rule,  however, 
frequently  breaks  down  because  of  the  great  variety  of  prose  accents 
that  may  occur  in  any  verse  and  obscure  its  intended  rhythm  unless 
the  scheme  is  present  to  the  mind  of  the  reader.  For  example, 
no  one  would  be  expected  to  catch  at  once  the  rhythm  of, 

1  "  Isochronous  periods  from  the  units  of  metre"  (p.  4).  "The  way  to  scan  a 
poem  is  to  discover  its  time  measure,  and  then  consider  the  relation  of  syllables  to 
time  ....  syllables  need  not  always  be  contained  wholly  in  a  particular  period" 
(p.  85) .  T.  S.  Omond,  Study  of  Metre. 

2 Professor  Bright  has  suggested  the  use  of  the  term  "articulation"  to  denote 
the  division  of  the  line  into  its  rhythmic  sections  by  means  of  the  accented  sylla- 
bles. Variation  in  the  articulation  of  the  line  is  dependent  upon  the  nature  and 
number  of  the  syllables  that  form  the  sections,  or  feet. 


8  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

And  the  chariot-wheels  jar  in  the  gate  through  which  you  drive 
them  forth. 

unless  he  knew  the  scheme, 

^  x  |  :L  xx  |  4-  x  |  -*-  x  |j  -£-  x  |  -£-  x  j  -£  x  |  -£. 
1 1  is  necessary,  therefore,  to  consider  these  accents. 

1.    Primary  Word-accent. 

The  primary  accent  falls  upon  all  polysyllabics,  and  upon  every 
monosyllabic  of  importance  unless  its  accent  is  made  secondary  by 
subordination  in  a  grammatical  group.  In  nominal  compounds,  the 
first  member  bears  the  accent ;  in  other  polysyllabics,  either  the  root- 
syllable  or  some  other  syllable  that  has  gained  predominence 
according  to  Romance  or  Teutonic  principles  of  accentuation. 
The  following  lines  illustrate  its  metrical  function: 

a.  In  the  arsis. 

(1)  It  seems  to  me  most  strange  that  men  should  fear. 

Shakespeare,  J.  C.  II,  ii,  35. 

(2)  Not  without  wonder  or  delight  beheld. 

Milton,  8.  A.  1642. 

(3)  His  ministers  of  vmgeance  and  pursuit. 

Milton,  P.  L.  I,  170. 

b.  In  the  thesis. 

(4)  Rocks,  caves,  lakes,  fens,  bogs,  dens  and  shades  of  death. 

Milton,  P.  L.  II,  621. 

(5)  Not  withrn^  wonder  or  delight  beheld. 

(6)  To  revenge  ~Lucrece  and  chastise  thy  sin. 

Thos.  Hey  wood,  The  Rape  of  Lucrece  V,  5. 

2.    Secondary  Word-accent. 

The  secondary  accent  falls  upon  the  second  member  of  com- 
pounds, and  upon  the  formative  and  derivative  elements  of  all 
polysyllabics.  It  is  seldom  regarded  in  prose,  and  has  failed  to 


YERSiTY  J 

Secondary  Accent  in  Modem  jEkiglwh  ,Ycrse.^  ^  '         9 


be   duly   recognized    in   verse.      Its   metrical   function   may   be 
illustrated, 

a.    In  the  arsis. 

(7)  Their  enemas  who  serve  ido&  with  God. 

Milton,  P.  R.  Ill,  432. 

/        //         /         //       / 

(8)  Then  smiling/y,  contented/?/  awakes. 

Browning. 
3.    Lack  of  Accent. 

Unimportant  particles  in  prose  are  unstressed.  In  verse  they 
may  bear  a  secondary  accent. 

a.  In  the  arsis. 

(9)  The  swain  responsive  as  the  milkmaid  sung. 

Goldsmith,  Deserted  Village,  117. 

/          /  I          II  I 

(10)  To  lie  in  cold  obstruction  and  to  rot ; 

/         //  /  .       //       / 

This  sensible  warm  motion  to  become 

/  /  //       /  /  . 

A  kneaded  clod  ;  and  the  delighted  spirit 

v^^/ 

To  bathe  in  fiery  floods,  or  to  reside 

In  thrilling  regions  of  thick  ribbed  ice. 

Shakespeare,  M.  for  M.  Ill,  i,  119-23. 

4.    Emphatic  or  Logical  Accent. 

The  emphatic  or  logical  stress  need  not  coincide  with  the  word- 
accent  or  with  the  ictus.  It  is  therefore  necessary  to  illustrate 
its  use, 

b.  In  the  thesis. 

II  I  II  I  I 

(11)  When  at  our  wake  you  for  the  chaplet  ran. 

Dryden,  Marriage  a  la  Mode  II,  i. 

(12)  That  I  did  love,  for  now  my  love  is  thawed. 

Shakespeare,  T.  G.  of  Ver.  II,  iv,  200, 


10  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

(13)  Of  man's  first  disobedience  and  the  fruit. 

Milton,  P.  L.  I,  1. 

(14)  They  creep,  yet  see  ;  /,  dark  in  light,  exposed. 

Milton,  8.  A.  75. 

(15)  Poets  ever  fail  in  reading  their  own  verses  to  their  worth. 

Mrs.  Browning,  Lady  Geraldine's  Courtship. 

(16)  They  are  leaning  their  young  heads  against  their  mothers', 

/  /  /  / 

And  that  cannot  stop  their  tears. 

Mrs.  Browning,  The  Cry  of  the  Children. 

(17)  Here  trampled  by  the  populace  underfoot, 

Thew  crowned  with  worship. 

Fitzgerald,  Tireseas. 

(18)  His  and  my  friendship  have  not  suffered  loss. 

(19)  Ij  loving  Freedom  for  herself. 

Tennyson.1 

(20)  Ay,  wrought  it  in  the  furnace  flame — my  "  Institutio." 

Kipling,  McAndrew's  Hymn. 

These  examples  reveal  conflicts  of  stress  that  demand  a  nice 
discrimination  in  the  degree  and  quality  of  the  various  accents  if 
the  rhythm  and  the  logic  of  the  line  are  both  to  be  preserved. 
Such  a  discrimination,  however,  seems  beyond  the  powers  of  the 
metrist.  He  can  scan  correctly  (1)  and  possibly  (8)':  he  will 
probably  allow  three  accents  to  (8) ;  four  to  (2),  (9),  (10),  (13) ; 
six  to  (18) ;  seven  to  (14) ;  and  eight  to  (4) ;  leaving  the  reader 
to  infer  that  the  number  of  verse  stresses  in  an  heroic  line  may 
vary  from  three  to  eight.2  If  the  secondary  accent  of  a  trissylla- 

1  Unpublished  poems  in  Alfred  Lord  Tennyson,  a  Memoir  by  his  Son,  I.  41. 

*  See  table  cited  above.  "Milton  has  three  and  even  four  spondees  in  one  line," 
says  Mayor,  Hand-book,  p.  13.  From  this  we  might  infer,  if  "  spondee  "  has  any 
recognizable  value  in  English  prosody,  that  an  heroic  line  may  have  as  many  as 
nine  metrical  stresses. 


Secondary  Accent  In  Modern  English  Verse.  11 

bic  word,  as  in  (8),  is  strong  enough  in  prose  he  will  make  use 
of  it  in  verse,  but  the  secondary  accent  of  a  dissyllabic  word,  as 
in  (7),  fails  to  prevent  an  inversion.  Likewise,  he  will  allow 
an  emphatic  word-stress  to  usurp  the  function  of  the  ictus  and 
demand  an  inversion,  as  in  (13).  Unable  to  account  scientifically 
for  these  irregularities,  the  metrist  either  attributes  them  to  a 
needed  variety  or  condemns  the  line  as  bad.1 

The  failure  of  the  metrist  may  be  largely  attributed  to  two 
causes :  (1)  an  ambiguous  terminology  that  confuses  word-accent 
with  ictus,  as  if  the  terms  were  mutually  inclusive ;  (2)  a  narrow 
conception  of  the  possibilities  of  word-accent.  The  generally 
accepted  dictum,  that  the  classical  terminology  may  be  retained 
with  the  understanding  that  it  does  not  convey  any  of  the  classical 
ideas  of  quantity,  is  open  to  serious  criticism  because  it  introduces 
a  profusion  of  terms  which  correspond  to  no  realities  in  English 
verse.  The  attempt,  for  example,  to  naturalize  the  "spondee"  has 
led  only  to  mischief.  For  "  spondee  "  can  have  no  significance  in 
English  prosody  if  it  does  not  mean  two  contiguous  metrical  stresses 
in  the  same  foot — a  meaning  which  Mayor  seems  to  imply  when 
he  uses  the  term.2  No  intelligent  scansion  is  possible  without  a 
clear  recognition  of  the  fact  that  any  of  the  accents  enumerated 
above  may  occur  hi  either  the  arsis  or  the  thesis,  and  that  all  are 
sufficient  at  need  to  maintain  the  rhythm  of  the  line. 

Success  is  here  in  part  a  matter  of  elocution.  For  the  rhythm 
of  verses  that  contain  conflicting  stresses  depends  upon  subtle 
variations  of  pitch  and  expiratory  word-accent.  Illustration  of 
the  use  of  the  pitch-accent  may  be  found  in  the  emphatic  utter- 

1  Mayor  carries  the  matter  to  its  logical  absurdity  by  finding  five  inversions  in 
one  heroic  line : 

Take  your  own  time,  Annie,  take  your  own  time. 

Hand-book,  p.  12. 

2  It  is  difficult  to  see  what  is  gained  by  Mayor's  "  reference  to  the  more  complex 
classical  measures,"  unless  it  be  a  confusion  of  the  very  points  that  most  need  sharp 
discrimination  if  the  genius  of  English  verse  is  to  be  understood.     The  dead  weight 
of  the  dead  leaf  bore  it  down,  contains,  we  are  informed,  "  bacchius,  ionic  a  minore, 

cretic  (« |  uu |  —  u  — ) ."     Then  down  the  long  street  having  slowly  stolen, 

reveals  " spondee,  bacchius,  three  trochees  ( |  u |  —  u  |  —  u  |  —  u"). 

Chapters,  p.  214. 


12  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

ance  of  prose,  as  in  such  words  as  <£>re-cisely ; '  '  Je-rusalem ; ' 
<  the  i-dea  ; '  '  not  good,  but  goodly  ;'  '  not  praise,  but  praising.' 
" .  .  .  .  it  will  at  once  be  recognized,"  says  Professor  Bright, 
"  that  the  new  prose-stress  is  not  a  word-stress,  equal  to  the  regu- 
lar word-stress  in  expiratory  force,  nor  a  reduced  form  of  the 
expiratory  word-stress  (which  would  be  nothing  more  than  a 
secondary  accent  in  prose),  but  a  stress  with  a  rising  inflection, 
a  pitch-accent.  Therefore  the  complete  inference  is,  that  the 
verse-accent,  the  ictus,  when  in  '  conflict '  is  attended  by  a  pitch- 
accent."  "  It  will  of  course  be  understood  that  when  the  word- 
accent  is  defined  as  expiratory  this  term  does  not  exclude  the 
inherent  pitch  in  English  stress.  Force,  quantity,  and  pitch  are 
combined  in  our  word-stress  (or  word-accent),  both  primary  and 
secondary ;  but  in  the  secondary  stress  used  as  ictus  there  is  a 
noticeable  change  in  the  proportions  of  these  elements,  the  pitch 
being  relatively  increased."  This  usage  in  prose  is  not  confined 
to  normally  unstressed  syllables,  but  is  also  frequent  in  unstressed 
words,  as,  '  He  promised  to  do  so,  and  now  he  denies  it ; '  '  They 
were  not  coming  to  him,  but  going  from  him/  The  examples 
cited  "reveal,"  according  to  Professor  Bright,  "the  law  that 
secondary  word-accents  may  become  pitch  accents,  and  that  pitch 
accents  may  also  be  required  for  words  ordinarily  unaccented  " 
(Proper  Names,  p.  364  f.). 

When  once  the  metrist  has  discovered  that  the  resources  of  the 
language  are  equal  to  the  demands  of  regular  verse,  much  of  the 
irregularity  that  now  seems  indispensable  for  the  sake  of  variety 
will  cease  to  have  any  rational  existence.  For,  unfortunately  for 
the  variety  theory,  the  metrist  finds  himself  compelled  to  condemn 
an  irregular  line  quite  as  often  as  he  praises  one.  Subtle  varia- 
tions in  stress  in  both  the  arsis  and  the  thesis  will  be  found 
sufficient  to  overcome  the  tendency  to  monotony  in  the  unvarying 
metrical  beat  of  the  verse. 

More  than  this,  an  unvarying  metrical  scheme  affords  the  poet 
the  opportunity  for  numberless  graceful  turns  and  delicate  shades 
of  relationship  which  in  themselves  constitute  a  beauty  that  is 
foreign  to  prose.  Here  the  poet's  art  may  be  shown  in  the  sur- 
prises he  has  in  store  for  us.  Commonplace  expressions  receive 
new  color  and  are  lifted  to  a  higher  plane  of  poetic  charm  and 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  13 

dignity.  Heavy  prose  accents  are  toned  down,  and  unstressed 
particles  gain  a  significance  that  brings  to  the  verse  unlocked  for 
connotations.  To  enter  further  into  a  criticism  of  poetry  from 
this  point  of  view  is  manifestly  beyond  the  scope  of  this  study. 
A  few  verses  from  Shelley  *  may  point  the  way  to  what  might  be 
done  toward  a  rhetoric  of  verse. 

And  wild  roses  and  ivy  serpentine. 

Question  III,  5. 

When  night  makes  a  weird  sound  of  its  own  stillness. 

Alastor  30. 

Godlike,  o'er  the  clear  billows  of  sweet  sound. 

Prometheus  II,  iv,  79. 

Which  points  into  the  heavens  dreaming  delight. 

Prometheus  IV,  445. 

And  heard  the  autumnal  winds  like  light  footfalls. 

Naples  2. 

Over  its  rocks  ceaselessly  bursts  and  raves. 

Mont  Blanc  II. 

With  a  space  stately  and  free. 

Mark  X,  1. 

Be  as  a  mark  stamped  on  thine  innocent  brow. 

Cenci  V,  iv,  151. 

It  remains  to  note  the  only  apparent  exceptions  that  may  be 
made  to  the  unvarying  regularity  of  the  ictus.  An  initial  inver- 
sion is  always  possible,  though  it  will  often  be  found  unnecessary, 
and  at  times  even  hurtful  to  the  full  beauty  of  the  line.  The 
tendency,  however,  in  modern  English,  toward  the  Germanic 
accent,  as  in  princess,  shdoting,  honor,  naturally  sets  the  precedent 
for  the  first  foot  before  the  regular  swing  of  the  verse  has  asserted 
itself.  The  time  relations  are  not  materially  altered  inasmuch  as 

1  Quoted  by  Mayor  in  Chapters,  XIV,  though  for  other  purposes. 


14  Secondary  AccentTm  Modern  English  Verse. 

the  rhythmizing  sense  tends  to  shorten  the  time  of  the  unaccented 
syllables  that  fall  together  in  the  contiguous  theses.  An  inversion 
is  also  possible  after  a  heavy  caesura.  Here  the  pause  preceding 
the  ictus  becomes  the  actual  thesis,  while  the  nominal  thesis  tends 
to  fall  together  with  the  thesis  of  the  following  foot  without  mate- 
rially changing  the  time  values.  In  both  eases  the  change  in  the 
line  is  one  of  articulation.  The  accents  tend  to  recur  at  regular 
intervals,  but  the  rhythmic  sections  vary  in  the  nature  and  number 
of  their  syllables. 

The  possibility  of  beginning  an  iambic  measure  with  an  accented 
syllable  has  always  been  taken  for  granted  by  the  poet.  The  thesis 
may  be  omitted  altogether  (fehlende  auftakt, '  clipped  line/  or  '  direct 
attack '),  or  the  foot  may  be  inverted.  Examples  of  the  former  are 
numerous  in  Chaucer,1  and  may  be  found  in  poets  of  every  period. 

That,  |  of  alle  the  floures  in  the  mede. 
Made  |  hir  lyk  a  daysie  for  to  sene. 
With  |  her  face  y-wimpled  subtilly. 

Legend  of  Good  Women  41,  224,  797. 

Of  especial  interest  in  this  matter  is  the  attempt,  as  illustrated 
in  the  poems  of  F.  W.  H.  Meyers,  to  make  the  initial  inversion 
an  unvarying  part  of  the  verse  scheme. 

Let  no  man  think  that  sudden  in  a  minute 
All  is  accomplished  and  the  work  is  done ; — 
Though  with  thine  earliest  dawn  thou  shouldst  begin  it 
Scarce  were  it  ended  in  thy  setting  sun. 

Oh  the  regret,  the  struggle  and  the  failing ! 

Oh  the  days  desolate  and  useless  years ! 

Vows  in  the  night,  so  fierce  and  unavailing ! 

Stings  of  my  shame  and  passion  of  my  tears  !        St.  Paul. 

Where  the  inversion  is  an  expected  part  of  the  verse  scheme,  as 
in  the  above,  the  rhythm  is  manifestly  somewhat  different  from 
that  of  the  exceptional  inversion,  but  the  analogy  is  significant  as 
showing  the  tendency  of  the  poet. 

1  See  Freudenberger,  M.  Vber  das  FefUen  des  Av/takts  in  Chaucer's  Hermschem 
Verse,     Erlanger  Beitriige,  1889. 


III.     ORIGINS. 


1.    FRENCH  INFLUENCE. 

In  the  poetry  of  Chaucer,  English  verse  attained  fundamentally 
the  same  rhythmic  character  that  it  bears  to-day.  Under  his  hand 
the  octosyllabic  line  developed  into  a  more  pliant  and  artistic  form. 
The  decasyllabic  line,  whether  Chaucer  invented  it  by  expanding 
the  octosyllabic  line  or  curtailing  the  Alexandrine,  as  Lewis  sug- 
gests (p.  99),  or  merely  imitated  the  French  decasyllabic  line,  as 
Schipper  believes  (vol.  I,  p.  437),  is  surely  indebted  to  his  genius 
for  its  first  permanent  place  in  our  literature.  Chaucer  went  to 
school  to  the  French ;  his  indebtedness  to  them  can  hardly  be 
overstated.  But  apart  from  the  fact  that  French  influence  was  at 
work  before  Chaucer's  time,  his  verse  is  linked  with  that  of  his 
predecessors  in  a  chain  that  no  foreign  influence  could  break. 
This  chain  is  the  language  itself.  However  much  the  verse  of 
Langland  seems  unlike  that  of  Chaucer,  there  is  a  characteristically 
English  rhythm  common  to  both  that  is  foreign  to  the  French. 

2.   LATIN  ACCENTUAL  VERSE. 

The  rhythms  of  English  verse  find  a  more  exact  prototype  in 
the  late  accentual  Latin  verse,  especially  in  the  hymns  of  the 
church  fathers.  The  chief  significance  here  lies  in  a  linguistic 
similarity,  which  is  most  strikingly  revealed  in  the  quality  and 
position  of  the  word-accent ; J  in  both  languages  it  was  early  shifted 
to  the  first  syllable.  Saturnian  verse  demanded  an  initial  accent, 

1  Courthope,  I,  p.  130,  gives  another  phase  of  similarity  : 

"In  some  respects  the  Latin  language  provided  the  Anglo-Saxon,  in  its  period 
of  transition,  with  a  more  suitable  model  than  the  French,  since  the  former,  hav- 
ing preserved  its  synthetic  framework,  furnished,  like  the  Saxon,  a  great  number 
of  double  rimes  ;  it  also  suggested  to  the  new  English  poets  the  form  of  the  stanza 
in  which  masculine  and  feminine  rimes  alternate  [Latin  Septenar]." 

15 


16  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

the  most  common  type  of  Anglo-Saxon  verse  was  A  L  x  L  x. 
Even  after  the  cultivated  Roman  ear  became  attuned  to  the  quanti- 
tative rhythm  of  Greek  models,  the  accentual  beat  of  a  trochaic 
line  in  which  quantity  and  word-accent  for  the  most  part  coin- 
cided must  always  have  been  a  conscious  part  of  the  rhythm. 
The  English  ear  is  naturally  quick  to  catch  and  reproduce  the 
accentual  rhythm  of  a  Latin  line,  as  may  be  shown  by  the  follow- 
ing verses  from  the  late  Pervigilium  Veneris,  and  their  reappear- 
ance in  Locksley  Hall  in  but  slightly  altered  form ; 

Ve*r  novum ;  ver  jdm  canorum  ;  v6re  natus  e*st  lovis. 
V6re  c6ncordant  am6res  ;  v6re  ntibunt  Elite's. 

Locksley  Hall : 

In  the  spring  a  fuller  crimson  comes  upon  the  robin's  breast, 
In  the  spring  the  wanton  lapwing  gets  himself  another  crest.1 

The  development  of  accentual  Latin  verse  was  so  gradual  that 
it  is  impossible  to  tell  just  how  long  the  feeling  for  quantity  may 
have  taken  the  place  of  the  word-accent  for  ictus  in  case  of  con- 
flict.2 Even  as  late  as  Mapes  the  quantitative  stress  may  have 
helped  to  justify  such  lines  as 

prius  tangit  quam  Anglidm. 
bobus  equis  et  6vibtis. 
multa  clauddm  sub  breVibtis. 

1  Quoted  by  H.  N.  Fowler,  in  A  History  of  Roman  Literature,  New  York,  1903, 
p.  242.     The  quantitative  rhythm  of  this  poem  coincides  with  the  word-accent  so 
nearly  that  for  English  ears  the  rhythm  may  be  called  accentual. 

2  The  strong  probability  that  the  rhythm  of  Saturnian  verse  was  accentual 
(Lindsay,  p.  330)  favors  the  presumption  that  there  was  always  more  or  less  of 
a  compromise  between  the  two  rival  verse  rhythms.     Even  if,  as  Schlicher  con- 
tends (p.  33) ,  such  popular  verses  as, 

Ceesar  Gallias  subegit,  Nicomedes  Csesarem, 

"show  no  greater  violation  of  quantity  than  that  of  allowing  the  choice  of  long  or 
short  in  all  the  theses  except  the  last,"  yet  no  agreement  of  accent  and  ictus  could 
exist  to  any  degree  without  revealing  the  characteristic  rhythm  of  accentual  verse. 
The  appreciation  of  such  a  rhythm  is  the  main  point ;  its  ultimate  ascendency 
then  becomes  merely  a  matter  of  time  and  circumstance.  It  is  sufficient  for  our 
purpose  that  purely  accentual  Latin  verse  was  familiar  to  English  poets  centuries 
before  the  time  of  Chaucer. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  17 

The  tendency,  however,  is  toward  the  use  of  a  secondary  accent 
for  the  ictus  in  cases  where  no  quantitative  justification  is  possible. 
Fortunatus,  who  seems  to  have  adhered  with  some  consistency  to 

quantity  (Lewis,  p.  30),  does  not  hesitate  to  write 

* 

Susp6nsis  6st  patibul6  ; 

and  Adam  of  St.  Victor,  of  the  twelfth  century,  whose  purely 
accentual  verse  is  remarkably  smooth,  admits 

Tu,  t£  lumen  et  fldmen  (March,  p.  137). 

Even  in  his  trochaic  verse  he  does  not  follow  the  normal  prose 
accent.  In  318  lines,  Lewis  (p.  36)  has  counted  28  "  inversions/' 1 
some  of  which  he  calls  "  wrenched  accents  :  " 

Hdrmonia  divers6rum. 
Post  Detim  spes  slngularis. 

These  "wrenched  accents"  he  attempts  to  account  for  on  ety- 
mological grounds,  but  the  list  could  easily  be  swelled  beyond  the 
possibility  of  individual  explanation.  A  comprehensive  explana- 
tion must  go  deeper ;  it  must  be  based  upon  inherent  linguistic 
possibilities  that  naturally  developed  after  the  feeling  for  quantity 
had  weakened.  On  no  other  theory  can  the  following  lines  be 
scanned : 

Deus,  Pat&r   ingSmte. 

Hilarius,  March,  p.  2. 

Aegypte,  Thrdx,  Persd,  Scythd. 

Ambrosiani,  March,  p.  43. 

1  It  is  difficult  to  quote  Lewis  without  danger  of  misrepresentation.  "But  while 
it  cannot  be  doubted  that  these  late  Latin  rhythms  were  read  generally  according 
to  their  accents,  with  frequent  initial  inversions,  it  is  almost  equally  clear,  as  we 
have  seen,  that  the  irregularities  in  the  first  tentative  efforts  at  accentual  verse 
must  have  been  regarded  not  as  inversions  but  as  wrenched  accents  ;  for  the  ideal 
rhythm  of  the  quantitative  iambic  verse  was  perfectly  regular  in  the  time  of 
Ambrose,  and  that  ideal  rhythm  was  the  element  of  the  old  verse  that  suggested 
the  invention  of  the  new ' '  (p.  39) . 


18  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

Totis,  ChrisM,  viscSribus. 
Seges  surgit  ubSrrimd. 

Petrus  Damianm,  March,  p.  97  f. 

Clavis  fossils  et  pSdibtis. 

Bonaventura,  March,  p.  160. 

Ubi  pie  post  triduum.1 

Gregorius,  Wack.  I,  74. 

Carmen  dedit  et  sdnquine'm. 

Aquinas,  Wack.  I,  144. 

Quern  poena  m6rtis  crfideli. 

Wack.  I,  80. 
Caelum  laudibus  intondt. 
Cum  v6x  ille  fortissimtis. 

Wack.  I,  80. 
Teque,  caelorum  regind. 

Wack.  I,  82. 
Ldrgiri  rem6ditim. 

Wack.  I,  190. 
Cant^mus  ntinc  nomen  tuum. 

Wack.  I,  78. 
Fit  tibi  semp&r,  genit6ris  nate. 

Wack.  I,  149. 

Pdri  forma  virgin6s,  6t  pari  pudore. 

Mapes,  p.  263,  1.  173. 
Ad  laicos  n6n  transibo. 

Mapes. 
Compare  with 

Infestl  sunt  laid  v6bis  tit  vid^tis. 

Mapes. 

The  list  might  be  indefinitely  prolonged.  A  careful  study  of  all 
cases  where  even  the  loosest  theory  of  inversion  fails  to  give  a 
tolerable  scansion  would  doubtless  throw  the  examples  into  well 
denned  categories  of  secondary  accent. 

1  The  examples  quoted  from  Wackernagel  are  admitted  by  Schlicher  (pp.  8-10) 
to  be  purely  accentual. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  19 

3.    ANGLO-SAXON  VERSE. 

The  break-down  of  quantity  in  Latin  verse  destroyed  its  most 
potent  means  of  securing  a  subtly  varied  rhythm,  the  possibilities 
of  secondary  accent  had  not  been  adequately  developed,  and  the 
use  of  the  inversion  was  confined  within  certain  limits.  Such  was 
not  the  plight  of  English  verse.  The  old  Anglo-Saxon  long-line  had 
developed  a  strong  feeling  for  secondary  accent  as  a  fundamental 
part  of  its  rhythmical  scheme.  Its  degeneration  into  looser  forms 
perhaps  obscured  for  a  time  the  possibilities  of  secondary  accent ; 
but  the  new  verse,  with  its  regularly  recurring  ictus,  made  new 
demands  upon  the  resources  of  the  language,  and  the  secondary 
accent  regained  its  place,  enlarging  its  field  by  analogy  as  the 
language  assimilated  the  fluctuating  forms  of  Anglo-Norman.  A 
brief  survey  of  the  part  played  by  the  secondary  accent  in  Anglo- 
Saxon  verse  will  make  this  transition  clear. 

The  extent  to  which  subsidiary  stresses  are  observed  in  Anglo- 
Saxon  verse  has  been  determined  by  its  scansion  according  to  the 
five-type  system  of  Sievers.  Actual  prose  usage  cannot,  of  course, 
be  so  definitely  fixed.  In  modern  English  prose  the  nicety  with 
which  the  syllables  of  a  word  are  stressed  depends  upon  the  speaker 
and  the  occasion  ; !  the  same  was  doubtless  true  of  Anglo-Saxon. 
One  important  difference,  however,  must  be  borne  in  mind.  Deriva- 
tive elements,  which  are  liable  to  be  clipped  in  rapid  pronunciation 
in  modern  prose,  were  in  Anglo-Saxon  more  surely  preserved  and 
stressed  because  of  the  inflectional  ending.  Careless  enunciation 
may  give  us  momin' ,  friglitfv? ,  goodn'ss,  bett'r,  worsh'p,  burd'n,  etc. ; 
but  such  slurring  is  hardly  possible  in  semninga,  fyrenfulra,  grim- 
nesse,  iserne,  gefirscipe,  hceftenne,  etc.  In  both  languages,  however, 

1  The  various  styles  of  speaking  or  reading  "as  .  .  .  .  set  forth  by  Professor 
Lloyd  (p.  30 )  are  :  the  formal  type,  appropriate  to  solemn  occasions,  as  in  the 
reading  of  the  liturgy  ;  the  careful  type,  of  the  best  conversation  and  of  public 
speakers  ;  the  careless  type,  which  is  tolerated  '  as  containing  no  very  disagreeable 
errors  ; '  and  the  vulgar  type,  containing  inadmissible  errors.  It  is  important 
also  to  note  that  these  types  are  described  as  differing  chiefly  in  the  matter  of  syl- 
labic stress.  'The  first,'  says  Professor  Lloyd,  'contains  few  syllables  which  are 
quite  stressless  ; '  the  second  has  none  of  them  ;  the  third  '  exaggerates  weakness  of- 
stress  ; '  and  in  the  fourth  '  it  often  happens  that  the  fully  stressed  syllables  alone 
preserve  their  formal  quality.'  "  Bright:  Concerning  Grammatical  Ictus  p.  26 f. 


20  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

the  metrical  scheme  not  only  refuses  to  tolerate  careless  enuncia- 
tion, but  also  utilizes  stresses  that  may  be  merely  potential  in  prose. 
In  accordance  with  the  rules  laid  down  by  Sievers,  Metrik  §  78, 
and  confirmed  by  Huguenin,  the  use  of  the  secondary  accent  for 
ictus  may  be  classed  under  two  general  heads :  I.  Compounds, 
and  II.  Derivatives. 

I.  The  principle  of  Germanic  accentuation  demanded  a  primary 
accent  upon  the  first  member  of  a  compound,  and  a  secondary  accent 
upon  the  second  member.  In  compounds  strongly  felt  as  such  the 
secondary  stress  was  heavy  enough  to  equal  the  metrical  function 
of  the  primary  stress,  if  the  verse  required  it,  as  in, 

in  brimlade  x  ±  |  -  x  (C)  Seef.  30. 

aefter  woruldstundum  x  x  £x  |  L  x  (C)  El.  363. 

J>aet  se  beadoleoma  x  x  6x  \  d  x  (C)  Beo.  1523. 

More  frequently,  however,  the  secondary  accent  occupied  a  subordi- 
nate position  in  metrical  function  : 

heahlond  stigon  <_  ±  \  6  x  (A)  Ex.  385. 
meotud  mancynnes  £x  |  L  i  x  (D)  And.  446. 
widcu^ne  Wean  L  ±  x  |  L  (E)  Beo.  1991. 

In  modern  English  the  principle  of  accentuation  in  compounds 
is  less  simple.  As  Sweet  has  shown,  Grammar  §§  889  ff.,  there 
is  a  strong  tendency  toward  even  stress,1  not  only  in  free  combina- 
tions, such  as  good  deed,  old  age,  etc.,  but  also  in  the  following  cases : 

1.  Newly-formed  compounds  whose  elements  are  still  fresh  in 
the  mind,  as  New  York,  the  West  End,  Longwood. 

2.  Compound  nouns  whose  first  element  restricts  the  second,  as 
in  spongecake,  denoting  resemblance,  man  cook  defining  sex,  stone 
wall,  denoting  material. 

3.  In  place  words,  as  Oxford  Road,  South  Park. 

4.  Combinations  of  adjective  -f  adjective,  as  deaf-mute,  dead- 
ripe,  redhot. 

" .  .  .  .  even  stress  balances  as  it  were  the  two  elements  against  one  another 
.and  puts  them  on  a  footing  of  equality,  and  to  some  extent  separates  them,  while 
uneven  stress  either  subordinates  one  element  to  the  other,  as  in  appletree,  or  indi- 
cates a  close  logical  union,  as  in  blackbird"  (§  898) . 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  21 

5.  Compound  verbs  formed  of  verb  -f-  adverb  or  adverb  +  verb ; 
as  pass  by,  forewarn,  outbid. 

6 .  Nouns  or  adjectives  derived  from  (5),  as  forewarning,  passer  by. 

7.  Emphatic  prefixes,  as  misconduct,  unkind,  re-cover  =  '  cover 
again/ 

8.  Group  numerals,  as  twenty-one,  also  -teen  numerals,  as  thirteen. 
With  such  accentual  possibilities  in  modern  prose  it  is  obvious 

that  compounds  can  offer  no  difficulty  to  the  poet.  All  compounds, 
however,  whether  they  have  even  or  uneven  stress,  may  readily 
bear  the  ictus  on  the  second  member. 

Thus  to  some  desert  place  or  old  wood-side. 

Dryden,  Annus  Mirabilis  248,  1. 

This  sleepy  music  forced  him  walk  tip-toe. 

Keats,  End.  II,  558. 

Proper  names  of  more  than  one  syllable,  though  the  signifi- 
cance of  the  elements  may  no  longer  be  felt,  may  for  the  most  part 
be  classed  under  the  head  of  compounds. 

Freslondum  on  L  ±  x  |  L  (E)  Beo.  2357. 
si-S-San  HreSlingas  x  x  L  \  L  x  (C)  Beo.  2960. 
And  him  Eadmundes  x  x  L  \  £  x  (C)  Edg.  17. 

Modern  analogies : 

Hath  long  defended  her  and  her  England :  hand. 

Peele,  D.  of  the  P.  42. 

How  in  my  strength  you  please.     For  you  Edmund. 

K.  Lear  II,  i,  114. 

In  many  proper  names  of  learned  origin  in  Anglo-Saxon  verse, 
as  Professor  Bright  has  shown,  "  The  accented  syllable  is  no  longer 
supreme  in  its  capacity  to  receive  the  ictus,  but  it  at  most  shares 
this  function  equally  with  the  initial  syllable,  to  which  it  may 
also,  on  occasion,  be  subordinated"  (Proper  Names  p.  352). 

Examples : 


22  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

Gregorius      in  godes  w^re  v\±x±\\x62\±x.     Men.  39. 
Marian  mycle  <>  ±  x  \  ±  x.     Men.  51. 

Proper  names  receive  this  initial  accent  on  account  of  their 
"  vocative  quality,  inasmuch  as  every  proper  name  is  ipso  facto 
a  vocative"  (p.  367).  In  all  periods  of  the  language  proper 
names  exhibit  this  tendency  toward  an  initial  vocative  stress. 

As  China  when  the  sun  at  Brazile  dines. 

Donne,  II,  p.  32,  1.  18. 

Is  grown  in  Baihseba?8  embraces  old. 

Dry  den,  Absalom  and  Achitophel  710. 

II.  Compounds  of  which  the  second  member  has  become  a 
recognized  suffix  may  be  classed  together  with  all  derivative  and 
formative  elements.  Of  these  there  are  two  classes  : 

(a)  Derivatives  which,  like  any  second  member  of  a  compound, 
may  use  the  secondary  accent  for  ictus ;  namely,  -crceft,  -dom,  -els, 
-end,  -had,  -ing  (-ung),  -lac,  -ness,  -sceoft,  -spell,  -cund,  -fcest,  -feald, 
-ful,  -isc,  -leas,  -fac,  -sum,  -wis,  -weard,  -est  (superl.  ending). 

(b)  Derivatives  which  seem  to  bear  no  accent  unless  inflected ; 
namely,  -an,  -aft(-e$),  -en,  -od(ed),  -ol(-el),  -or(-er),  (Huguenin, 
p.   10).     For  modern  verse  this  distinction  may  be  disregarded, 
since  the  loss  of  inflectional  endings  has  put  them  upon  the  same 
level  for  metrical  purposes.     We  may  therefore  subdivide  them 
according  to  grammatical  function. 

I.     SUBSTANTIVAL  FORMS. 
A.   Abstract  Nouns. 
-dom. 


wisdom  onwreon  L  i  x  |  L  (E)  El.  674. 

ere. 

Chaucer,  C.  T.  C  690. 


To  been  avysed  greet  wisdom  it  were. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  23 

-had  (-hood). 

of  cildhade  x  L  \  L  x  (C)  El.  914. 

Craft  or  manhood,  with  foes  what  recks  it  which  ? 

Surrey,  Aeneid,  p.  128. 
-ness. 

on  heannesse  astah  x  |  L  ±  x  x  |  L  (E)  Ps.  67,  182. 

Grief  of  good  mindes,  to  see  goodnesse  disgraced. 

Spenser,  Visions  W.  V.  I,  8. 
-scipe  (ship). 

ond  geferscipe  x  x  L  \  J  x  (C)  Gu.  1232. 

Of  swich  lordshipe  as  men  han  over  hir  ly ves. 

Chaucer,  C.  T.  F  743. 
B.    Concrete  Nouns. 

-end  (-and). 

pa  J>set  serende  x  x  L  \  ^  x  (C)  An.  1620. 

Schaw,  and  declair  for  our  goddis  errand. 

Douglas,  Eneados  VI,  i. 

-er)  -ere,  cere,  denoting  chiefly  agency.1 
and  boceras  x  L  \  (,  x  (C)  An.  607. 

Ther  was  also  a  Reve  and  a  MUlere. 

Chaucer,  C.  T.  A  542. 

Have  they  not  sword-players,  and  ev'ry  sort. 

Milton,  8.  A.  1323. 

-er,  -or,  -ur,  -r,  denoting  persons  and  things, 
wuldores  stsef  L  o  x  |  L  (E)  ^a^.  112a. 

1  ' '  -ere  tragt  jedoch  einen  so  entschiedenen  tiefton,  dass  dieser  sogar,  wenn  reim 
oder  rhythmus  es  verlangt,  die  rolle  des  hochtons  iibernehmen  kann.  Sehr  hiiufig 
finden  wir  bei  Chaucer  und  bei  anderen  dichtern  millere,  ridere,  beggere,  u.  s.  w. 
betont,  ja  fiir  den  reim  ist  diese  betonung  in  alien  vers  formen,  die  auf  lat.  oder 
rom.  vorbild  beruhem,  regel."  ten  Brink,  Anglia  V,  2. 


24  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

Among  daugJders  of  men  the  fairest  found. 

Milton,  P.  R.  II,  154. 
-el,  -I,  -le. 

Anglo-Saxon  cyrnel,  hccsel,  segel,  ncedl. 

II 
And  out  at  my  steed's  right  nostril:  yoursel. 

Ballad,  Tarn  Lin  G.  361,  vol.  II,  p.  351. 
-ing. 

J?eodcyninga  L  |  (,  x  x  (D)  Beo.  2. 

If  thou  have  but  a  small  farthing. 
Robin  Hood  and  the  Beggar  II,  st.  15,  vol.  V,  p.  160. 

-ling. 

his  dlorlingas  x  L  \  L  x  (C)  Met.  158. 

-sceaft. 

set  frumsceafte  x  L  \  ^  x  (C)  Seel.  79. 

-spell. 

godspelles  gife  L  -  x  |  &  (E)  El.  176. 

II.     ADJECTIVAL  FORMS. 
-ed,  -od  (Merged  with  preterite  part.). 

Hate  vertue  though  she  be  naked  and  bare. 

Donne,  I,  6,  41. 

-€91. 

agenne  card  ^  i  x  |  L  (E)  Ph.  264. 

O  you  that  made  open  the  glibbery  ice. 

Marston,  I  Antonia  and  Mettida  IV. 
-er,  -or. 

sceal  to  o^erre  x  x  L  |  L  x  (C)  Jul.  115. 

My  love  shall  in  my  verse  ever  live  young. 

Shakespeare,  Sonnet  XIX,  14. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  25 

-est  (Superl.  ending). 

seo  clseneste  cwen  x  |  L  ±  x  \  L  (E)  Cri.  276. 

Such  solitude  before  clwicest  society. 

Milton,  P.  R.  I,  302. 
-fcest  (-fast). 

rincas  radfaeste  ^  x  |  L  ±  x  (D)  Sch.  13. 

To  have  stedfast  perseveraunce. 

Chaucer,  Duchesse  1007. 
-feald  (-fold). 

anfealde  gewyrht  L  ±  x  x  |  L  (E)  Cri.  1578. 

Alas  you  three  on  me  threefold  distressed. 

Shakespeare,  Rich.  Ill,  II,  ii,  86. 
-ful. 

sorhfullne  sl«  ^  ^  x  |  L  (E)  Beo.  512. 

// 
Lyveth  a  lyf  blisful  and  ordinaat. 

Chaucer,  C.  T.  E  1284. 

~w  (-y)- 

in  haligra  hyht  x  |  L  -  x  |  L  (E)  Mod.  73. 

To  love  7ioo/y  with  goode  entente. 

Chaucer,  Duchesse  766. 
-isc  (-ish). 

);urh  menniscne  x  L  \  L  x  (C)  Gu.  1095. 

Without  blemish  or  staine. 

Spenser,  Epithal.  400. 
-£ms  (-less). 

^  )?e  sorgleasra  x  x  -  |  ^  x  (C)  El.  97. 

The  town  restless  with  fury  as  I  sought. 

Surrey,  Aeneid,  p.  144. 


weorca  wraocllcra  ^  x  |  ^  i  x  (D)  Ps.  769. 

Why  should  I  die  then  or  basely  despair. 

Marlowe,  Faustus  VI,  31. 
-sum  (-some). 

worold  wynsume  <&  \  ^  c>  x  (D)  Leas.  41. 


26  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

-weard  (-ward). 

Sgwearde  heold  L  ±  x  |  L  (E)  Beo.  241. 

// 

0  happy  Gods,  which  by  inward  assumption. 

Sidney,  III,  93,  40. 
-wls  (-wise). 

re-Se  rihtwise  &  \  L  ±  x  (D)  Ps.  11875. 

Most  of  the  men  slaughtered  or  took  likewise. 

Shakespeare,  I  Henry  VI.  I,  i,  147. 

III.     VEEBAL  FORMS. 
-an  -en. 

to  feallanne  x  L  \  L  x  (C)  Met.  20,  168. 
gegrundene  x  L  \  C  x  (C)  By.  109. 

With  powerful  policy  strengthen  themselves. 

Shakespeare,  III  Hen.  VI.  I,  ii,  58. 

Her  cheeks  swollen  with  sighs,  her  hair  all  rent. 

Marlowe,  Dido  II,  i,  277. 
-ad,  -od,  -ed.     Preterite  weak. 

egsode  eorl  L  o  x  |  L  (E)  Beo.  6. 
forbsernedne  x  L  \  L  x  (C)  See/.  114. 

1  hear  the  wealthy  Jew  walked  this  way. 

Marlowe,  /.  of  M.  II,  iii,  32. 

Young  lulus  clasped  in  my  right  hand. 

Surrey,  Aeneid,  p.  142. 
-end  (-ing).     Present  part. 

se  ]>e  byrnende  x  x  L  \  L  x  (C)  Beo.  2272. 

Is  now  again  thwarting  the  wayward  seas. 

Shakespeare,  Pericles  IV,  iv,  10. 
S. 

The  wrastling  for  this  worlde  axeth  a  fall. 

Chaucer,  Truth  16. 

-ian,  -igan  (-y).     Present  infinitive  weak, 
sund  cunnian  L  \  L  t>  x  (D)  Beo.  1426. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  27 


IV.      GRAMMATICAL   GROUPS. 

The  secondary  accent  in  grammatical  groups  is  used  or  sup- 
pressed according  to  metrical  exigency  (Huguenin,  p.  31  f. ;  Sievers, 
Metrik,  §§  23,  28).  Analogies  in  modern  verse  may  be  found  for 
both  phenomena. 

siex  tlda  dseges  ^  i  x  |  &  (E)  Jul  230. 

sid  folc  micel  ^  i  |  &  (A)  Jul.  692. 

A  yet  warm  corpse  and  yet  unburiable. 

Tennyson,  Gareth. 

eald  sweord  eotenisc  i  x  |  $$  x  (A)  Eeo.  1558. 
beagas  and  brad  gold  z.  x  x  |  L  x  (A)  Beo.  3105. 

Clung  to  the  dead  earthy  and  the  land  was  still. 

Tennyson,  Guinevere. 

Of  especial  significance  is  the  full  metrical  stress  on  prepositions 
and  the  auxiliary  verbs. 

wij>  ]>e  gelic  L  ±  x  |  L  (E)  Jul.  549. 

reord  up  astag  L  \  L  x  ±  (D)  Jul.  62. 

hraj?e  seoJrSan  waes  &  ±  x  |  L  (E)  Beo.  1937. 

And  silk  mask  in  the  pocket  of  the  gown. 

Browning,  Ring  and  Book  VI,  1876. 

It  is  the  soul  by  which  mine  was  arrayed. 

Shelley,  Cenci  III,  ii,  22. 

NOTE. — It  should  not  be  assumed  that  in  every  case  the  ex- 
amples cited  above  afford  exact  etymological  and  grammatical 
parallels.  Such  exactness,  though  desirable,  is  not  essential  to  our 
purpose.  Words  so  nearly  analogous  as  agenne  and  open  (p.  24) 
have  therefore  been  combined  without  question,  although  open 
may  not  strictly  be  called  a  derivative  in  -en. 

FOREIGN  ELEMENTS. 

The  expansion  of  the  language  through  the  assimilation  of 
French  and  Latin  words  developed  new  possibilities  for  secondary 
accent.  Analogous  forms  threw  native  and  foreign  derivatives 


28  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

into  similar  categories,  and  the  same  accentual  laws  became  com- 
mon to  both.  Of  especial  significance  at  this  point  are  the  pre- 
fixes. In  Anglo-Saxon,  prefixual  stress  was  rare,  nearly  all 
nominal  prefixes  having  lost  their  accent  through  the  influence  of 
analogy  with  cognate  verbal  forms  (Huguenin,  p.  18).  Under 
the  influence  of  new  metrical  forms,  however,  the  native  prefixes, 
such  as  a-,  an-,  on-,  un-,  be-,  for-,  off-,  out-,  up-,  wtf&-,  fell  into  line 
with  foreign  prefixes  in  their  power  to  bear  the  ictus. 

I.  FOKEIGN  PKEFIXES. 

French  and  Latin  prefixes  receive  a  secondary  accent  which 
may  serve  for  ictus  whenever  the  verse  requires  it.  Chief  among 
these  are,  a-,  ab-,  abs-,  ad-,  amb-,  am-,  an-,  bi-,  com-,  con-,  co-, 
de-,  dis-,  di-,  em-,  en-,  ex-,  e-,  im-,  in-,  il-,  mal-,  ne-,  ob-,  obs-, 
o(b)s-,  per-,  pro-,  post-,  pur-  re-,  se-,  sub-,  trans-,  etc. 

Examples : 

Giles,  ablutions,  and  metal  fusible. 

Chaucer,  C.  T.  G  856. 

The  body  gone,  yet  remain  shall  the  heart. 

Wyatt,  p.  130. 

No,  let  the  candied  tongue  lick  absurd  pomp. 

Shakespeare,  Hamlet  III,  ii,  65. 

Wherewith  she  freezed  her  foes  to  congealed  stone. 

Milton,  Comus  449. 

II.  FOREIGN  SUFFIXES. 

Foreign  suffixes  have  extended  the  range  of  secondary  accent 
beyond  the  possibility  of  exact  classification.  It  is  necessary  to 
enumerate  only  the  most  important  French  and  Latin  endings, 
such  as  -age,  -al,  -el,  -il,  -le,  -an,  -ain,  -ian,  -ance,  -ence,  -ant,  -ent, 
-ard,  -ass,  -ace,  -ble,  -pie,  -ar,  -er,  -ier,  -ior,  -or,  -our,  -ess,  -ice, 
-ise,  -et,  -id,  -iff,  -ive,  -in,  -ist,  -est,  -ment,  -on,  -ion,  -ory,  -ous, 
-ose,  -ure,  -y,  -ey,  -cy,  -ty,  etc.  In  the  examples  cited  in  the  course 
of  this  study  foreign  endings  will  not  be  distinguished  from  those 
of  native  origin. 


IV.    THE  ARGUMENT  FROM  RIME. 


When  rime  unites  with  rhythm  in  demanding  that  the  secondary 
accent  be  used  for  ictus,  there  can  be  no  escape  for  the  metrist,  as 
in  the  heroic  line, 

Hath  long  defended  her  and  her  England  :  hand. 

Peele,  Device  of  the  Pageant  42. 

In  much  Elizabethan  verse,  however,  especially  in  that  of  the 
dramatists,  the  argument  from  rime  is  sometimes  weakened  by  the' 
presence  of  an  extra-metrical  syllable,  as  in, 

To  him  that  wields  the  massiest  sword  of  England :  stand. 

Peele,  Edward  I.  X,  101. 

The  riming  syllable  in  a  line  of  this  type  has  been  called  "  un- 
accented "  by  all  metrists.  Such  a  term  is  correct  only  in  so  far 
as  it  implies  that  the  rime  does  not  bear  one  of  the  metrical  stresses 
essential  to  the  rhythm  of  the  line.  For  to  characterize  any  rime 
as  stressless  is  a  contradiction  in  terms.  In  all  such  cases  the 
only  valid  explanation  must  be  that  the  final  syllable  bears  a 
secondary  accent  which  may  be  maintained  as  an  extra-metrical 
stress,  an  echo  of  its  companion  rime.  In  this  view  the  signifi- 
cance of  such  rimes  becomes  apparent ;  for  examples  are  numerous 
which  reveal  the  use  of  such  an  extra-metrical  stress  in  all  the 
varieties  of  words,  compound  and  derivative,  which  we  have 
found  capable  of  secondary  accent  for  the  regular  ictus. 

COMPOUNDS. 

And  hath  returned  her  peacocks  by  her  rdinbbw  :  ago. 

Peele,  Arraignment  of  Paris  I,  i,  112. 
And  for  this  riotous  humour  he  has  the  by-name  :  streame. 

Dekker,  The  Wonders  of  a  Kingdome  I,  i. 

29 


30  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

PROPER  NAMES. 

As  Pallas  told  me  here  the  name  of  &hd  :  so. 

Peele,  Arraignment  of  Paris  II,  i,  1. 
Is  there  not  something  more  then  to  be  Caesar  :  far. 

Jonson,  Sejanus  V,  1.  13. 

SUFFIXES. 

Nay,  gods,  I  trow,  you  are  like  to  have  great  sitince :  hence. 
Peele,  Arraignment  of  Paris  IV,  i,  57. 
Which  else  you  do  usurp !  you're  no  true  cdpt&in :  disdain. 

Middleton,  The  Phoenix  II,  ii. 
With  such  unnatural  and  horrid  physic  :  sick. 

Webster,  The  White  Devil  I,  i. 
That  since  the  immortall  soules  of  creatures  mdrtaU :  all. 

Jonson,  Masque  I. 
But  what's  the  end  of  thy  Herculean  Idbdrs  :  shores. 

Jonson,  Masque  I. 
If  then  this  prize  be  but  bequeathed  to  beauty :  i. 

Peele,  Arraignment  of  Paris  II,  i,  58. 


In  the  pages  that  follow  an  attempt  will  be  made  to  illustrate 
the  use  of  the  secondary  accent  for  ictus  in  all  cases  where  the 
caesural  pause  seems  insufficient  to  warrant  an  inversion.  It  is 
obvious  that  some  difference  of  opinion  may  exist  as  to  the  presence 
or  strength  of  a  caesura.  In  a  matter  so  subjective  there  can  be 
no  court  of  appeal.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that 
the  caesura  should  be  inherent  in  the  structure  of  the  line,  and  not 
artificially  induced  by  the  seeming  need  of  an  inversion. 


V.    THE  VERSE  OF  CHAUCER. 


In  his  Chaucers  Sprache  und  Verskunst,  §  275,  ten  Brink  is  able 
to  avoid  inversions  in  Chaucer's  verse  by  merging  them  under  the 
rubric,  ' level  stress*  (schwebende  Betonung).  He  thus  arrives  at 
two  classifications :  '  level  stress/  as  in  a  word  like  fader ;  and 
'  accent-shift '  (Accentverschiebung),  as  in  a  word  like  Mitt6re.  The 
difference  is  chiefly  one  of  degree,  the  weight  of  some  syllables, 
especially  when  inflected,  being  more  capable  of  stress  than  others. 
For  our  purpose  the  distinction  is  needless,  since  both  classes  are 
believed  to  bear  a  secondary  accent  that  is  always  available  for 
ictus.  There  is  therefore  no  more  reason  to  deny  the  secondary 
accent  to  wisdom  than  to  mdrtirddom,  §  282. 

The  conflicting  claims  of  foreign  and  native  principles  of  accent- 
uation afforded  Chaucer  great  freedom  in  the  use  of  secondary 
accents.  Just  what  the  prose  usage  was,  it  is  of  course  not  always 
possible  to  determine.  If,  as  ten  Brink  believes,  §  286,  Chaucer's 
normal  method  of  accenting  French  words  was  to  reverse  the 
respective  Romance  positions  of  primary  and  secondary  accents, 
his  use  of  the  new  secondary  accent  for  ictus  places  him  in  line 
with  his  poetic  successors  to  the  present  day.  However  this  may 
be,  his  poetry  presents  an  almost  exhaustless  store  of  examples  of 
the  use  of  the  secondary  accent,  according  to  either  principle  of 
accentuation,  and  in  all  classes  of  words.  The  rather  full  list  that 
follows  will  be  found  useful  in  affording  a  parallel  for  the  usage 
of  later  poets  whose  freedom  in  this  respect  is  not  so  readily 
granted. 

COMPOUNDS. 

When  he  was  come  almdst  unto  the  toun  A  894. 
Brimstoon,  G  798  ;  ofspring,  A  1550 ;  outrage,  R.  1229 ;  out- 
lawe,  H   224;   upright,  D  2266;  welcome,  4.67;  wel-fare,  A 
3063;  etc. 

31 


32  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

PEOPEK  NAMES. 

And  made  Addm  fro  paradys  to  go  B  4448. 
Alia,  B  1022 ;  Argus,  3.435 ;  Arthour,  D  857 ;  Bayard,  G  1413  ; 
Britotin,  B  561 ;  Cartdge,  B  4555 ;  Cupyde,  5.652 ;  distance,  B 
208  ;  Ech6,  R.  1474;  Ector,  3.1065  ;  Edward,  B  3160;  Egipte, 
3.1207;  English,  3.898;  Eur6pe,  B  161;  Florence,  D  1125; 
Gys&i,  D  2080;  Ias6n,  3.727 ;  lesus,  B  690;  Joseph,  3.280;  luno, 
3.243 ;  Kenelm,  B  4300 ;  Martyn,  B  1338  ;  Maurice,  B  1063  ; 
Mercuric,  A  1385 ;  Pompey,  B  3883 ;  Ome"r,  F  1443 ;  Phebus, 
H  242  ;  Platf,  G  1460  ;  Prudence,  B  3086  ;  Richard,  B  4538  ; 
Robin,  A  3129  ;  Russel,  B  4524;  Sampsoun,  C  554;  Sathan,  B 
634 ;  Thomds,  D  666  :  Urbdn,  G  541 ;  William,  A  324 ;  etc. 

PEEFIXES. 

Giles,  ablutions ,  and  metal  fusible  G  856. 

ApparSnce,  F  1 157 ;  bSnigne,  E  41 1 ;  compleint,  F  920 ;  conferme, 
E  1508  ;  corrupt,  B  519  ;  desirous,  F  23  ;  discreet,  A  518  ;  &n- 
prentSd,  E  2117;  Entente,  B  1765;  Sxpulsif,  A  2749;  forloyn, 
3.386;  fulfille,  C  540;  immortal,  5.73;  inpossible,  E  1609; 
mdyntene,  A  1441;  otitrageous,  E  2087;  pdrfourne,  H  190; 
rebelling,  A  2459  ;  r6ceit,  G  1353 ;  supposing,  G  873  ;  stispect, 
C  263 ;  etc. 

SUFFIXES. 

-age. 

To  wedde  a  povre  womman,  for  costdge  D  249. 
Corage,  B  939  ;  image,  G  364 ;  langage,  B  1716  ;  message,  F 
99 ;  pardge,  D  1120 ;  potdge,  C  368  ;  village,  E  483  ;  etc. 
-ant,  -aunt9  -ent,  -ounce,  -ence,  etc. 

If  any  dettour  hath  in  myn  absence  B  1587. 
Credunce,  1.61 ;  Marchaunt,  E  1215 ;  pendunce,  G  446 ;  presence, 
C  680 ;  prudence,  E  1022 ;  science,  G  896  ;  silence,  D  1031 ;  etc. 
-asy  -ace. 

As  bole  armoniak,  verdegrees,  bords  G  790. 
Compds,  20.5  ;  solace,  R.  487  ;  trespds,  B  4610  ;  etc. 
-ble,  -pie. 
With  falling  of  the  grete  temple  of  stoon  B  3279. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  33 

-bond. 

Whan  myn  housbond  is  fro  the  world  y-gon  D  47. 

-dom. 

Of  beau te,  lust,  freedom,  and  gentilnesse  4.175. 

To  been  avysed  greet  wisdom  it  were  C  690. 

-ed. 

Cast  up,  axed,  'who  clepeth  there?7  3.185. 

Called,  C  180;  couchede,  G  1179;  crouned,  F  526  ;  dauncSd, 
R.  1246  :  lasted,  F  806  ;  looked,  D  1082 ;  wondred,  F  225;  etc. 

-er,  -re,  -ere,  -are. 

He  sent  after  a  churl,  was  in  the  toun  C  140. 

AnswSre,  3.1243;  archer,  H  108  ;  aut6r,  B  1826  ;  brother,  G 
1437;  chambre",  3.258;  coper,  G  1292;  gladder,  G  1342;  lovers, 
4.5;  mature,  E  1175;  mode"r,  E  1363;  neve>,  2.115;  afte~r,  B 
4618;  othe>,  E  1063;  ove>,  D  1661;  papeer,  G  762;  pile~re, 
3.739;  poplar,  A  2921;  porter,  5.261;  pow6r,  C  913;  profr6d, 
G  1066  ;  rather,  F  1403;  rive>,  D  884;  scoter,  A  3190;  silver, 
G  1162  ;  soper,  F  1210 ;  under,  B  4292 ;  water,  G  1462;  etc. 

-en,  -eyn,  -an,  -ayn,  -in. 

With  his  bargaynes,  and  with  his  chevisaunce  A  282. 

Gardin,  E  2136;  lemmiin,  H  238;  Iok6n,  B  4065;  mayden, 
D  1180;  miteyn,  C  373;  womme"n,  H  188;  yeman,  A  3270;  etc. 

-esse. 

That  was  abbesse  nat  fer  fro  Parys  D  678. 

CountSsse,  E  590;  godd&se,  'F  1046;  humblSsse,  F  544; 
prmce"sse,  A  1830;  rich^sse,  10.58;  simplSsse,  R.  954;  etc. 

-est. 

And  eek  men  shal  nat  make  ernest  of  game  A  3186. 

Forest,  B  1944 ;  honest,  E  333  ;  leng&t,  5.549 ;  tempest,  H  301. 

-et,  -it,  -yt. 

But  he  that  noght  hath,  ne  coveyteih  have  D  1189. 

Diete,  C  516;  meryte,  C  277;  planete,  3.693;  po^te,  E  31; 
pulpSt,  C  391;  quiSte,  9.44;  scarlet,  B  1917;  spirit,  B  943; 
visyte,  A  493 ;  walet,  A  681 ;  wiket,  E  2152. 

-eth. 

The  wrastling  for  this  worlde  axeih  a  fall  13.16. 


34  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  k 

CessSth,  F  257;  hateth,  E  1386;  knokk&h,  A  3764;  loveth, 
E  1384;  makSth,  3.1175;  nede~th,  B  1453;  percSth,  5.331;  preis- 
6th,  18.8;  rydSth,  B  1488;  sem6th,  C  553;  speke*th,  A  2203;  etc. 

-fast. 

To  have  stedfdst  perse  veraunce  3.1007. 


Liveth  a  lyfblisftil  and  ordinaat  E  1284. 

-hold. 

For  wel  ye  knowe,  a  lord  in  his  houshold  D  99. 

-if. 

Ther  nas  baittif,  ne  herde,  ne  other  hyne  A  603.  • 

Caityf,  C  728;  lolyf,  A  4154;  meschief,  D  248;  motyf,  B 
628;  etc. 
-ik,  -yk. 

An  apparence  y-maad  by  som  magyk  F  218. 
Narcotiks,  L.  2670;  Phisyk,  A  411;  relikes,  C  920. 
-m,  -yn. 

Bitwixen  me  and  my  cosyn  daun  John  B  1577. 
Doctryne,  B  4632;  Satyne,  R.  1104;  vermyne,  E  1095;  etc. 
-ing. 

Upon  an  hors,  snow-  why  t  and  wel  ambling  E  388. 
Asking,  E,.   1483;  bidding,  G  1109;  blowing,  G  923;  com- 
inge:  lykinge:  wepinge,  B  765,  7,   8;  cunning,   5.487;   daunc- 
ing,  R.  1267;  deying,  3.588;  doing,  R.  753  ;  dwellinge,  D  1299; 
fasting,  R.  440  ;  hunting,  A  2308  ;  moorninge,  A  3706  ;  offiringe, 
D  1315;  pleying:  kissing,  R.  341-2:  sewing,  3.959;  singing: 
lyking,  R.  75-6  ;  sleeping,  R.  25  ;  swering,  C  633  ;  talking,  G 
684;  using,  18.42;  waking,  3.611;  etc. 
-is,  -ice. 

The  hye  pryde  of  Nero  to  cheryce  :  nyce  B  3710. 
CiprSes,  B  2071;    lustyse,    1.142;    malyce,  B  363;   novys, 
B  3129;  offyce,  D  1137  ;  servyse,  E  603  ;  surplys,  G  558. 
-ish. 

The  hors  vanisshed,  I  noot  in  what  manere  F  342. 
Languishing  7.178;  polisshed,  D  1742;  warished,  3.1104. 
-le,  -al,  -aille,  -d,  -ol. 

A  long  castel  with  walles  whyte  3.1318. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  35 

Caroles,  A  1931 ;  coral,  B  4049 ;  cristal,  E.  1579 ;  cruel,  D  2001 ; 
dismdl,  3.1206;  fatal,  B  261;  litel,  B  1414;  mantel,  K.  459; 
mervdille,  B  4266  ;  metal,  F  243  ;  squires,  R.  1402 ;  rebel,  B 
3415;  royal,  A  1551;  tasseled :  ameled,  R.  1079-80;  vessel,  H 
88 ;  etc. 
-less. 

And  sey  an  hond  armless,  that  wroot  ful  faste  B  3393. 
-ness. 

To  draweu  folk  to  heven  by  faimesse  A  519. 
Gladnesse,  B  1102;  sikn&se,  A  1311  ;  witne"sse,  7.298;  etc. 
-ora,  urn. 

As  be  to  every  wight  buxdm  and  meke  B  1432. 
Bos6m,  G  1118  ;  custume,  D  682. 
-on,  -own,  -une. 

And  this  chanoun  him  thanked  ofte  sythe  G  1031. 
Commune,    E    1313;    fasoun,    R.    1028;    fortune,    B  3927; 
leotin,  D  1989  ;  lessotin,  4.33  ;  prisoun,  B  3605  ;  pardouu,  C  926 ; 
patroun,  4.275  ;  person,  D  2008  ;  resoun,  3.922  ;  tres6n,  3.1122. 
-07f,  -our. 

That  twenty  tyme  she  changed  hir  colour  F  370. 
Clamour,   D   889;   errour,   16.7;   honour,   16.44;   labour,   C 
537  ;  langour,  R.  214 ;  mirour,  F  369;  odour,  A  2938  ;  socour, 
1.65;  Somnour,  D  1595;  traitor,  B  3880;  valour,  R.  1043;  etc. 
-one. 

As  olde  bokes  maken  us  memdrie :  storie  B  3164. 
-os,  -ou$. 

She  was  so  charitable  and  so  pitous  A  143. 
Purpos,  E  1571 ;  hidous,  R.  987 ;  etc. 
-owy  -aw. 

Ful  litel  woot  Arcite  of  hisfeldwe  A  1525. 
Harrow,  A  4072 ;  sor6w,  7.327 ;  windowe,  A  3676  ;  yelowe,  R. 
539  ;  etc. 
-red. 

And  eek  therto  come  of  so  heigh  Idnrede  F  735. 
-shipe. 

Of  swich  lordshipe  as  men  han  over  hir  wyves  F  743. 


36  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

-u,  -ue. 

Of  whos  vertti,  whan  he  thyn  herte  lighte  B  1661. 
Valtie,  C  626. 
-ure. 

Hit  was  gret  wonder  that  nature  3.467. 
-ward. 

That  in  our  fyr  he  fil  bakwdrd  adoun  D  793. 
Upward,  A  3473. 

-y>  -ey>  -lv>  (-<*)• 

And  forth  he  rydeth  hoom  to  his  abbfye  B  1513. 
Bount6e,  E  2246  ;  crafty,  G  1253  ;  dedly,  7.258 ;  deyntee,  F 
681  ;  erly,  A  4401 ;  erthly,  R.  648;  folye,  G  742;  fully,  A  2974; 
glorie,  A  2240;  gretly,  E  1829;  hoolly,  3.766;  mercy,  13.24; 
moneye,  B  1528;  only,  E  245;  palfreys,  A  2495;  Pit6,  2.50; 
plentSe,  R.  1083;  privee,  R.  600;  shortly,  D  1077;  stifly,  D 
380  ;  worthy,  4.274  ;  etc. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

By  word  and  by  mirdcle  goddes  sone  G  330. 

Of  all  this  stryf  he  gan  reme'die  fynde  A  2452. 
Also,  H  63;  ap£rtening,  G  785;  chalenge,  D  1200;  confort, 
E  2148;  debonairly,  3.1284;  delicasye,  5.359;  difficult^e,  D 
1272;  furlong,  F  1172;  governe,  B  1434;  Kalenderes,  1.73; 
legSnde,  G  83 ;  malencolye,  D  252 ;  martyreth,  A  1562 ;  min- 
istres,  G  411;  obstacles:  miracles,  A  1787-8;  stiwardes,  A 
579  ;  tavernes,  C  465  ;  tretable,  3.923  ;  triumphe,  B  400  ;  unt6, 
F  340 ;  etc. 


VI.    GAWAIN   DOUGLAS. 


The  verse  of  Gawain  Douglas  has  been  chosen  to  illustrate  the 
transition  between  the  verse  of  Chaucer  and  that  of  Wyatt  and 
Surrey.  The  examples  are  all  taken  from  his  translation  of  the 
Aeneid  (books  vi-x).  In  describing  an  earlier  poem,  Courthope 
says  :  "  The  more  regular  distribution  of  the  accent  is  due  to  the 
disappearance,  from  the  Northern  dialect  used  by  Douglas,  of  the 
final  e,  the  surviving  symbol  of  inflection ;  and  also  to  the  fact 
that,  in  many  of  the  words  imported  from  the  French,  the  accent, 
forced  to  follow  the  Teutonic  law,  has  been  removed  from  the  final 
syllable  to  one  of  the  syllables  of  the  stem.  Thus  the  following 
words  which  in  Chaucer's  verse  would  have  been  usually,  if  not 
invariably,  pronounced  Pleasance,  Jealousye,  Honour,  Mirrotir, 
Nattire,  Discretioun,  Tresour,  Beaute",  Pite",  become  in  King  Hart, 
Pledsance,  Jelousy,  Honour,  Mfrrour,  Nature,  Discretion,  Tredsour, 
Beauty  e,  Pitie"  (vol.  I,  p.  377).  A  reference  to  the  examples 
below  reveals  far  more  accentual  freedom  than  Courthope  would 
seem  to  admit.  Indeed,  it  becomes  more  and  more  clear  that  the 
liberties  of  Douglas  and  Chaucer  must  find  the  same  justification 
on  metrical  grounds  as  the  corresponding  liberties  of  Wyatt  and 
Shakespeare  and  Milton  and  Shelley. 

Edition  used  :  The  Poetical  Works  of  Gawain  Douglas,  edited 
by  John  Small,  3  vols.  Edinburgh,  1874.  (Eneados,  vi-x,  in 
vol.  in.) 

COMPOUNDS. 

In  extasy  scho  stude,  and  mad  almdist  101.10. 
Firebrand:  hand,  23.13;  ofspring,  63.13;  etc. 

PEOPEB  NAMES. 

Baith  consecrat  to  Dyane  and  Phebfis:  Glauctis  10.29. 
TeucSr,  53.7;  Dyane,  9.9;  Trojane,  12.27;  etc. 

37 


38  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

PKEFIXES. 

In  greyne  yeris  to  cdmpleit  mariage  84.6. 

D%tis,  1729;  desist,  12.26;  devote,  80.10;  enchantrise,  81.28; 
resound,  70.20;  unworthy,  101.14. 

SUFFIXES. 
-age. 

How  gret  curdge  thar  hart  is  set  upone  62.18. 
-and. 

Schaw,  and  declair  for  our  goddis  errdnd:  sand  13.1. 
-enty  -ence. 

Saturnus,  for  his  fader  and  parent  83.28. 

Absent,   100.3;   potent:    lent,    70.15;    presand :   send,    9.28; 
presence,  26.32;  turment,  49.25;  etc. 
-as. 

In  schuldir  rollis  the  round  speir  in  compds  64.10. 
Trespas,  50.13. 
-er,  -ar  (-ir). 

And  in  his  left  hand  haldand  ane  buldeir  93.17. 
Alter,  17.8 ;  ansue~r,  18.25  ;  dochtir,  81.5 ;  hungir,  89.6 ;  maner, 
11.12;  porter,  35.13;  revir,  97.18;  suffir,  99.13;  etc. 
-ed  (-it). 

Thar  ardent  vertu  has  raisit  and  wphyit  17.19. 
-ess. 

And  wild  cipres,  the  tre  of  mortale  hewis  22.30. 
Branchis,  22.5;  maistr&s,  1625. 
-est. 

Forest:  exprSst,  21.5. 
-ful. 

Frendftill,  96.24. 
-in. 

Ingyne:  myne,  46.2;  sangudne,  82.4. 
-ing. 

And  to  inquyre  the  caus  of  his  cuming  41.20. 
Chiding,  34.10;  murnyng,  41.4;  rageing,  81.14;  say ingis,  13.27 ; 
sitting,  93.24;  weping:  bing,  20.17;  wynning,  50.1;  etc. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  39 

-is,  -ice. 

Justice,  37.17;  service,  80.11. 

-ive. 

But  than  the  kyng,  thochtfull  and  all  pensive  86.3.  ( 

-le,  -al,  -el,  -il. 

By  sa  creuett  turmentis  and  hiddeous  pane  42.12. 
Batt^ll,  54.5 ;  cirkill,  96.11 ;  equale,  94.25 ;  exile,  49.29 ;  peple*, 
12.27;  rabellis,  69.4;  riall,  95.8;  etc. 
-on,  -oun. 

In  quhat  regiofin  and  place  bene  Anchises  54.25. 
Fortoun,  30.26;  mansioune,  91.17;  resoun,  16.23. 
-our. 

In  brycht  armotir  amyd  the  schaddowis  law  41.24. 

-08. 

To  my  purpds,  I  sail  seik  forthir  syne  102.28. 
-ow. 

With  dirk  schadddvm  of  the  thik  wood  schaw  18.3. 
-ship,  -schip. 

A  man  of  na  les  prowes  nor  wirsehip  20.4. 
-ure. 

The  kingis  suld  ressave  ceptfir  and  croun  92.14. 
-ward. 

Speid  wsforwdrd,  for  yondir,  lo,  I  se  51.19. 

-y>  -<%>  -*>  ~ie- 

Quhen  fyrst  this  strange  army  or  falloschip  83.3. 
Body :  navy,18.23;  countr6, 29.16 ;  douchty, 97.24 ;  glor£, 62.10; 
happy:  sky,  9.13;  journey:  see,  80.16;  mony,  12.14;  mychty, 
21.18;  reddy,  88.10;  swiftlye,  81.31;  trety:  hie,  97.7;  etc. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Send  for  to  rewle  and  bruik  a  greit  empyre  65.11. 
Expert,  27.31;  garlandis,  91.9;  hasard,  28.21;  occtipiit,  8.17; 
etc. 


VII.     THE   BALLADS. 


For  the  purpose  of  this  study  it  is  fortunately  unnecessary  to 
solve  the  so-called  "  problem  "  of  the  ballads.  For  whether  we 
accept  the  "  communal  authorship  "  theory  of  Gummere,  or  the  more 
plausible  "degeneration  theory"  of  Courthope  (vol.  i,  p.  446), 
Gregory  Smith  (p.  186),  and  others,  the  examples  which  follow 
are  too  numerous  and  varied  to  be  dismissed  as  the  purely  arti- 
ficial convention  of  the  folk,  or  "the  trick  of  the  necessitous 
rhymester."  The  ballads  themselves  are  largely  artificial  and 
conventional,  the  themes  are  restricted,  and  the  vocabulary  small. 
It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  the  changes  should  be  rung  on 
a  few  stock  rimes.  And  it  is  not  to  be  denied  that  the  excessive 
use  of  the  secondary  accent  for  rime  is  a  convention  especially 
characteristic  of  the  ballads.  One  must  not,  however,  be  led  to 
believe  that  the  "degenerate  minstrel"  has  no  resources  when 
body,  and  lady,  and  country  are  exhausted.  The  unskilful  or 
excessive  use  of  a  principle  does  not  refute  the  principle :  the 
pathology  of  literature  is  often  most  instructive. 

The  references  are  to  Professor  Child's  English  and  Scottish 
Popular  Ballads,  5  vols.,  Boston,  1882. 

COMPOUNDS. 

Up  and  spoke  the  bonny  mermdid  IX,  151,  E. 
He  rode  and  he  rode  along  the  highwdy  III,  207,  B. 
Then  half  a  hundred  good  bandoggs  V,  123. 
Greenwood,  IV,  265,  B;  moonlight,  IV,  282;  pen-knife,  III, 
185,  B;  pricke-wdnde,  V,  93;  sheephfrd,  III,   251,  H;  ship- 
board, III,  216;  sweet-heart,  III,  237,  C;  war-lock,  III,  221, 
E;  etc. 

PROPER  NAMES. 

That  I'll  marry  none  but  you,  Ritchie :  she  VIII,  293. 
Some  men  called  him  young  Andrew  II,  434. 
40 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  41 

He  had  not  been  in  fair  Scotland  III,  207. 
Berwick,  III,  178,  D;  Ellen,  I,  127,  B;  Gilbert,  111,178,  C; 
Margr6t,  III,  159;  Nevill,VI,  419;  Spencer,  VI,  277;  Wallace, 
VI,  269,  C;  Wyet,  III,  129;  etc. 

SUFFIXES. 
-age,  -ege. 

I  swear  by  the  rude  that  no  damdge  VI,  262,  E. 

O  will  you  come  to  my  marridge  III,  190,  G. 

By  came  a  knicht  from  the  high  college  IV,  462,  C. 
-antj  -ent,  -ment. 

The  word  is  gone  to  the  land-sm^n^  VII,  2. 

For  this  is  appearance  of  good  grecment  VII,  45,  B. 
-as,  -ace. 

And  ye'll  get  as  muckle  guid  canvds  III,  28,  I. 

He  harpit  in  the  king's  paldcc  III,  140,  C. 
-ble. 

He's  done  him  to  his  love's  stable  III,  171. 

And  aye  she  served  the  long  tables  III,  73,  D. 
-ed,  -it. 

He  was  so  stout  and  proud-hearted  IV,  283. 

Before  thou  get  thy  bow  bcndit  III,  149,  D. 
Blinded,  VI,  384;  clapped,  III,  165,  G;  hafted,  III,  133,  D; 
hundred,  IV,  434;  paced,  III,  133,  E;  etc. 
-en,  -in,  -ain. 

I'll  be  cook  in  your  kitchen  I,  117,  C. 

Thou  never  heard  no  speech  spoken  VI,  420. 

And  wi  a  little  keen  bodkin  III,  149,  E. 

Brethren,   I,  99,  C;  curtain,   III,   171;  broken,  VII,   229; 
drunken,  III,  134,  E;  mountayns,  VI,  307;  napkin,  III,  73, 
D;  token,  III,  216;  waken,  II,  397;  woman,  III,  45. 
-er,  -or,  -our. 

Out  then  spake  the  lord's  mother  I,  73,  C. 

Turn,  oh  turn,  thou  false  traytor  VII,  10. 
Better,  III,  147,  C;  daughter,  I,  55;  finger:  there,  II,  397,  E; 
harper:  fair, VII,  19,  C;  laughter,  III,  132,  C;  master,  II,  397; 
mayor,  III,  178,  D;  neebor,VI,  273,  G;  palmer, V,  3;  parlour, 


42  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

II,  452;  robber,  III,  166,  C;  shoulder:  dear,  VII,  11;  tanner, 
V,  137;  etc. 

-es,  -ess,  -ness,  -est. 

It  was  nae  for  his  great  riches  IV,  272,  F. 

Except  it  was  the  young  countess  III,  139,  B. 

This  lady  has  tane  a  sair  sickness  III,  145,  B. 

It  is  full  mery  in  feyreforeste  V,  97. 
Fishes,  II,  428,  B;  likeness,  III,  45;  etc. 
-et,  -ot. 

Ye  dress  yoursel  in  the  red  scarlet  II,  465,  C. 
Parrot,  I,  59;  pocket,  II,  368. 
-'ic. 

But  it's  me  with  a  sair  and  sick  colic  VI,  392,  H. 
-ing. 

With  God's  blessing  and  mine  VIII,  178,  C. 

The  laird  of  Bristoll's  daughter  was  in  the  woods  walking : 

king  II,  422. 

Crowing,  III,  140,  C;  farthing,  V,  160;  justling,VI,  279,  B; 
kirking,  II,  368,  C;  morning,  V,  97;  pearlings,  IV,  323,  B; 
puddin,  IX,  99,  B;  sailing,  IV,  332;  standing,  II,  340;  trickling, 

III,  73,  C;  washing:  threshing,  IV,  325,  C;  wedding:  ring,  III, 
108,  C;  wooing :  hunting,  73,  C;  etc. 

-ish. 

The  brands  garnisshed  wi  steel  III,  134,  E. 
-ive,  -if. 

And  there  he  met  with  a  proud  sheriff  V,  181,  B. 
-le,  -el,  -il. 

And  stripped  off  her  silk  manttt  II,  452,  C. 

My  father  was  lord  of  nine  castles  II,  428. 

And  out  at  my  steed's  right  nostril-,  yoursel  II,  351,  G. 
Battel,  II,  284;  bridled,  VII,  44;  chancel,  III,  201;  girdlS: 
hersell,  II,  397 ;  jewels, VIII,  388;  kirtle",  II,  340;  middle,  III, 
108,  F;  minstrel,  II,  368;  uncle",  III,  132,  C;  etc. 
-om,  -on,  -ow,  -une. 

And  drap  a  drap  on  her  bosome  IV,  367,  E. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  43 

And  witli  him  came  the  bold  barone  III,  108  C. 
Without  ye  grant  a  free  pardon  II,  368. 
Shoot  on,  shoot  on,  thou  good  fellow  V,  125,  B. 
To  hang  upon  a  high  gallowe  :  arr6we  V,  92. 
It's  a  maid  that  maks  her  ain  fortune  VIII,  418. 
Apron  :  shoon,VII,  67,  C;  dungeon,  II,  465,  B;  matrons,  VI  II, 
391  ;  meadow,  VII,  197,  E;  window,  III,  177,  C;  etc. 
-wise. 

And  who  is  the  wretch,  tell  me  likewise  IV,  283  B. 


Wi  meikle  goud  and  white  money:  free  V,  464. 

An  sore  envied  her  sister  fair  I,  127,  C. 

Shold  doe  in  Lough  Leven  truly  e  :  sea  VI,  413. 
Any,  III,  129  ;  babie,  I,  73,  D  ;  bodie,  I,  73,  D  ;  costly,  I,  56,  C  ; 
dowrfe:  knee,  VII,  53,  B;  galled,  IX,  137,  B;  journey,  VI,  287; 
ladie,  I,  56,  C;  married,  IV,  298;  smithy,  II,  428,  B;  sundry, 
III,  212,  I;  thirty,  I,  213,  C;  etc. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Here  am  I  thou  false  bishop  VII,  11. 
She's  none  of  my  comrddes  IV,  327,  D. 
Our  king  he  kept  a  false  stewdrd  III,  45. 


VIII.     WYATT  AND   SURREY. 


The  poems  of  Wyatt  present  considerable  difficulty  to  the 
metrist.  The  text  of  Wyatt' s  poems  "  cannot,"  says  Dr.  Nott, 
"  be  considered  correct  and  genuine.  In  addition  to  the  injury  it 
has  sustained  from  the  carelessness  of  the  copyist,  it  has  suffered 
evidently  from  the  mistaken  zeal  of  the  editor,  who,  in  a  large 
number  of  passages,  has  introduced  arbitrary  corrections  of  his 
own,  when  he  thought  he  could  either  improve  the  versification 
of  an  inharmonious  line,  or  elucidate  the  meaning  of  an  obscure 
one."  l  For  example,  Wyatt  wrote, 

To  dsk  rewdrd  :  then  standest  thou  like  one  af<§rd, 
Alway  most  cold ;  and  if  thou  sp6ke,  kowerd,2 

but  the  editor,  blind  to  the  possibilities  of  the  language,  must  find 
a  different  rime : 

To  &sk  reward :  thou  standst  like  one  afraied 
Alwdy  most  cold ;  and  if  one  word  be  sayd.3 

Or  he  sacrifices  the  rime  altogether : 

Alas  the  snow  shalbe"  black  and  scalding,    . 
And  whe"re  he  rose  the  sonne  shall  take  lodging* 

must  be  changed  to, 

Alas  the  sn6w,  black  shall  it  be"  and  scalding, 

And  wh£re  he  rose  the  sonne  shall  t&ke  his  lodging.5 

The  roughness  of  some  of  Wyatt's  work  must  be  admitted ;  but 
the  fact  that  the  editor  often  succeeds  in  producing  a  smoother 
line  does  not  affect  the  point  at  issue,  for  his  corrections  are  mani- 

1  Quoted  by  Ewald  Fliigel,  Anglia,  xviu,  p.  266,  from  Nott,  p.  vu. 
*  Anglia,  xviu,  p.  461. 

3  Arber  Keprints,  No.  24,  p.  38. 

4  Anglia,  xvni,  p.  466. 

5  Arber  Keprints,  No.  24,  p.  68. 

44 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Vwse.  45 

festly  at  variance  with  Wyatt's  intentions.  "  Many  of  his  poems 
from  beginning  to  end/7  ten  Brink  admits,  "  are  built  up  of  fault- 
less lines,  and  produce  at  times  a  good  deal  of  melody  "  (vol.  m, 
p.  218).  The  conceded  ability  of  Wyatt  "at  times"  creates  the 
suspicion  that  more  of  his  verse  might  prove  melodious  if  properly 
read.  It  is  believed  that  the  examples  quoted  will  help  to  such  a 
reading.  What  has  been  said  of  Wyatt' s  verse  is  also  applicable, 
though  in  a  less  degree,  to  the  verse  of  Surrey.  All  references  are 
to  the  Aldine  Edition  of  the  British  Poets.  Thus,  W.  25=Wyatt, 
p.  25;  S.  40=  Surrey,  p.  40,  etc. 

COMPOUNDS. 

I  mean  nothing  but  honesty  W.  147. 

Thus  of  that  hope,  that  doth  my  life  something  sustain  W.  155. 
That  come  but  late  from  slaughter  and  bloodshed  S.  142. 
Whatso  betide,  come  peril,  come  welfdre  S.  142. 

PROPER  NAMES. 

Of  high  Caesdr,  and  damn  Cat6  to  die  W.  191. 

But  our  David  judgeth  in  his  intent  W.  226. 

Caesar,  when  that  the  traitor  of  Egypt :  writ  W.  6. 

The  Chief  pastor  of  the  Hebrews'  assemble  W.  210. 

So  sternly  sore  this  Prophet,  this  Nathdn :  man,  W.  205. 

Does  Creusa  live  and  Ascanifis  thy  son?  S.  137. 

Of  high  Carthdge,  to  build  a  goodly  town  S.  158. 

That  reft  Chaucfr  the  glory  of  his  wit  S.  60. 

And  blind  Cupid  did  whip  and  guide  S.  38. 

Of  just  David,  by  perfect  penitence  S.  58. 

Escaped  from  the  slaughter  of  Pyrrhtis  S.  134. 

Without  debate  Venus  did  seem  to  yield  S.  152. 

PREFIXES. 

As  she  my  suit  and  dffecti6n :  done  W.  29. 
Yet  this  trust  I  have  of  great  dpparence :  pense  W.  3. 
Himself  accusing,  beknowing  his  case  W.  210. 
Whereby  I  dare  with  humble  bemoaning  W.  206. 
Oh  !  diverse  are  the  chdstisings  of  sin  W.  213. 


46  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

Mad,  if  yc  list  to  continue  your  sore  W.  189. 
The  way  so  long,  the  departure  so  smart  W.  129. 
And  by  your  displeasure  as  one  mischiev'd  W.  112. 
Is  now  mine  extreme  enemy  W.  110. 
Arise,  I  say,  do  May  some  observdnce  W.  5. 
Look  not,  O  Lord  !  upon  mine  offending :  bring  W.  220. 
More  like  was  he  the  selfsame  repentdnce  W.  205. 
The  body  gone,  yet  remain  shall  the  heart  W.  130. 

0  Sister,  dearer  belov'd  than  the  light  S.  148. 
For  to  break  forth  did  cdnvert  so  S.  68. 

Troy  discharged  her  long  continued  dole  S.  113. 
And  Jupiter  my  father  distributes  S.  138. 
As  sundry  broken  dreams  us  diver  sly  abuse  S.  95. 
Fed  at  rich  tables  presenteth  with  wine  S.  155. 

SUFFIXES. 
-age. 

From  the  foul  yoke  of  sensual  bonddge :  rage  W.  55. 
-ant,  -ance,  -ence. 

With  secret  traps  to  trouble  my  pendnce  \V.  209. 

Be  so  pleasdnt:  In  my  sembldnt  W.  130. 

To  daze  man's  sight,  as  by  their  bright  presence  W.  3. 
-ase,  -ass. 

Dismay  thee  not,  though  thou  see  the  purchdse :  grace  W.  231. 

To  Thee  alone,  to  Thee  have  I  trespass' d  W.  219. 

To  Wyatt's  Psalms  should  Christians  then  purchase? :  grace 

S.  58. 

And  closed  it  above  their  heads ;  a  mighty,  large  compass :  place 
-ed.  S.  108. 

This  song  ended,  David  did  stint  his  voice  W.  213. 

And  reconcile  the  great  hatred  and  strife  W.  207. 

To  have  lived  after  the  city  taken  S.  139. 
-en,  -ain,  -in. 

1  serve  in  vain,  And  am  certdin  W.  139. 
Of  my  sovereign  I  have  redress  W.  31. 

The  Greeks'  chieftdins  all  irked  with  the  war  S.  112. 
Home  to  her  spouse,  her  parents,  and  children  S.  136. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  47 

The  springs  descend;  his  beard  frozen  with  ice  S.  157. 

Lightnings  assault  the  high  mountdins  and  clives  S.  57. 

With  such  sudden  surprise,  quick  may  him  hell  devour  S.  107. 
-er,  -ar,  -or. 

So  sore  alt6r*d  thyself,  how  mayst  thou  see?  W.  165. 

And  some  show  me  the  power  of  my  armour :  favour  W.  209. 

If  waker  care ;  if  sudden  pale  colour :  more  W.  6. 

All  in  err6r,  and  dangerous  distress  W.  150. 

Whoso  hath  seen  the  sick  in  his  fever:  fervour  W.  210. 

The  blind  master  whom  I  have  served  so  long  W.  170. 

And  by  thy  looks  and  thy  manure:  chere  S.  75. 

The  fray'd  mothers,  wandring  through  the  wide  house  S.  132. 

His  next  neighbdur  Ucalegon  afire  S.  125. 

If  \>y  prayer,  Almighty  Jupiter  S.  141. 

Or  with  thunder  the  mighty  Lord  me  send  S.  148. 

And  with  water  gan  quench  the  sacred  flame  S.  141. 
-ess,  -less,  -ness,  -est. 

Of  such  a  root,  lo,  cometh  fruit  fruitless  W.  11. 

Rue  on  me,  Lord !  for  thy  goodness  and  grace  W.  218. 

But  for  to  love  (lo)  such  a  stern  mistress :  redress  W.  23. 

Of  people  frail,  palace,  pomp,  and  riches:  goodness  W.  209. 

Twixt  woe  and  wealth,  betwixt  earnest  and  game  W.  11. 

Worship  was  done  to  Ceres  the  Goddess  S.  142. 

The  town  restless  with  fury  as  I  sought  S.  144. 
-ct,  -eth. 

It  is  a  grievous  smart .  .  .  But  mostgrievtth  my  heart  W.  103. 

And  there  campeth  displaying  his  banner,  W.  1. 

My  heart  panteth,  my  force  I  feel  it  quail  W.  216. 

At  length  herself  bordeth  Aeneus  thus  S.  159. 

Salt,  corn,  fillets,  my  temples  for  to  bind  S.  117. 

A  postern  with  a  blind  wicket  there  was  S.  130. 
-ful. 

And  gnash  his  teeth  eke  with  groaning  ireful :  full  W.  232. 
-hood. 

Craft,  or  manhood,  with  foes  what  recks  it  which?  S.  128. 
-ing. 

Without  forcing  or  strength  W.  41. 


48  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

But  of  hating  myself,  that  date  is  past  W.  2. 
Sometime  I  laugh,  sometime  mourning  W.  112. 
If  wailing  or  sighing  continually  W.  16. 
For  such  calling,  when  it  works  none  amends  S.  67. 
Doth  call  her  forth,  with  much  noise  of  dancing  S.  159. 
The  din  resounded :  with  rattling  of  arms  S.  124. 
-le,  -al,  -aily  -il. 

Call  craft  counsel,  for  lucre  still  to  paint  W.  191. 

Alas  !  the  clear  crystal,  the  bright  transplendent  glass  W.  156. 

For  it  is  time  without  any  fable  W.  26. 

And  no  marvel!  when  sight  is  so  opprest  W.  188. 

Was  never  bird  tangled  in  lime  W.  138. 

The  vain  travail  hath  wearied  me  so  sore  W.  19. 

Good  ladies  !  ye  that  have  your  pleasures  in  exile  S.  28. 

By  whose  pencil  a  Goddess  made  thou  art  S.  32. 

But  proud  people  that  dread  no  fall  S.  69. 

By  our  spousdls  and  marriage  begun  S.  160. 

An  old  temple  there  stands,  whereas  some  time  S.  142. 

Thus  is  my  wealth  mingled  with  woe  S.  23. 

-071. 

Although  that  yet  parddn  hath  not  offence  W.  211. 

With  such  weapons  they  shope  them  to  defend  S.  130. 
-ow. 

The  labour's  salve  !  increasing  my  sorrdw  :  foe  W.  33. 

Long  to  furrow  large  space  of  stormy  seas  S.  145. 

And  my  wife  shall  follow  far  oif  my  steps  S.  142. 

Doth  prick  her  forth,  hearing  Bacchus'  name  hallowed  S.  159. 

The  next  morrow,  with  Phoebus'  lamp  the  earth  S.  147. 
-une,  -ure. 

Then  shall  I  thank  fortune:  tune  W.  40. 

A  rock  of  such  nature :  unstire  W.  144. 

From  earthly  frailness,  and  from  vain  pleasure  W.  150. 

My  only  trust !  my  heart's  treasure  \ :  endure  W.  125. 

Whom  the  closures  ne  keepers  might  hold  out  S.  132. 

A  Grecian  born  ;  for  though  fortune  hath  made  S.  115. 
-ward. 

Plaint  with  his  tears  outwdrd,  as  it  is  writ  W.  6. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  49 

Arctic  the  one  northwdrd  we  see :  Antarctic  the  other  hight 

W.  160. 
When  that  the  restless  sun  westwdrd  his  course  hath  run  S.  81. 

>  fy- 

Then  shalt  thou  know  beauty  but  lent  W.  30. 
And  may  daily,  if  that  she  will  W.  116. 
With  feigned  visage,  now  sad,  now  merry  W.  7. 
Thy  infinite  mercy  want  needs  it  must  W.  208. 
Or  is  her  heart  so  hard  that  no  pity :  beauty  W.  34. 
And  tears  continual  sore  have  me  wearied  W.  2. 
As  in  th'  entry  of  slaughter  furious  S.  132. 
Not  so  fiercely  doth  overflow  the  fields  S.  132. 
Son  !  what  fury  hath  thus  provoked  thee  S.  137. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Suffer  me  yet,  in  hope  of  some  comfdrt  W.  207. 

And  graven  with  diamdnds  in  letters  plain  W.  19. 

For  since  thine  heart  is  so  mutable  W.  28. 

The  one  we  see  alwdy,  the  other  stands  object  W.  160 

The  more  to  feel,  by  such  recdrd  how  that  my  wealth  doth 

bate  W.  156. 

That  their  aspects  so  fiercely  were  S.  79. 
The  wailful  wrongs  and  hard  conMcts  that  folly  doth  endure 

S.  85. 


IX.     PRE-SHAKESPEARIAN  VERSE. 


The  lyric  and  dramatic  verse  which  immediately  preceded  the 
work  of  Shakespeare,  and  was  in  many  respects  his  model,  is 
adequately  represented  by  the  poems  and  plays  of  Greene,  Kyd, 
Lyly,  Marlowe,  Peele,  Sidney,  and  Spenser.  The  references  given 
are  to  the  following  editions  : 

Greene,  Robert,  [and  Peele,  George].  Works  edited  by  Alex- 
ander Dyce,  London,  1861. 

Kyd,  Thomas.     Works  edited  by  F.  S.  Boas,  Oxford,  1901. 

Lyly,  John.  Works  edited  by  R.  W.  Bond,  3  vols,  Oxford,  1902. 
Verse,  vol.  III. 

Marlowe,  Christopher.  Works  edited  by  A.  H.  Bullen,  3  vols., 
Boston,  1885. 

Peele,  George.  Works  edited  by  A.  H.  Bullen,  2  vols.,  London, 
1888. 

Sidney,  Sir  Philip.  Complete  Poems  edited  by  A.  B.  Grosart,  3 
vols.,  London,  1877. 

Spenser,  Edmund.  Works  edited  by  Francis  J.  Child,  3  vols., 
Riverside  Press,  Cambridge. 

COMPOUNDS. 

To  question  us  of  all  sorts  of  fire-workes  K.  218. 

The  honourable  port  thou  bor'st  sometime  L.  385. 

This  of  spring  of  Cain,  this  Jebusite  M.  II,  53. 

And  though  I  go  not  so  upright,  and  though  I  am  a  smith 

P.  I,  51. 

Through  great  bloodshed  and  many  a  sad  assay  Sp.  I,  94. 
Elsewhere,  Sp.  Ill,  217;  eyesight,  Sp.  I,  174;  headland,  Sp. 
Ill,  507;  sackcloth,  Sp.  I,  212;  sunshine,  Sp.  Ill,  262;  etc. 
50 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  51 


PROPER  NAMES. 

What  says  the  mighty  Soldan  of  Egypt?  G.  92a. 
As  for  a  Sonne?     Methinks  a  young  Bacon  K.  59. 
Weep  not  sweet  Ndvarre,  but  revenge  my  death  M.  II,  297. 
Hath  long  defended  her  and  her  Engldnd  :  hand  P.  I,  352. 
Fair  filizd's  lasses  and  her  great  grooms  P.  II,  277. 
Fausttis,  M.  I,  226  ;  Her6  :  show,  M.  Ill,  43  ;  Pyrdmide's,  M. 
II,  243 ;  etc. 

PREFIXES. 

For  I  shall  Exceed  in  the  highest  degree  G.  169b. 
That  we  be  freends  :  the  world  is  suspitious  K.  79. 
As  match  the  days  within  one  complete  year  M.  I,  252. 
In  oblique  turnings,  wind  the  nimble  waves  P.  II,  11. 
Friend  without  change,  playfellow  without  strife  Sd.  Ill,  42. 
That  freed  from  bands  of  impacdble  fate  Sp.  Ill,  26. 
Cdriere,  Sp.  Ill,  159 ;  ylike,  Sp.  Ill,  159 ;  etc. 

SUFFIXES. 
-as,  -ace. 

And  with  bright  restless  fire  compass  the  earth  M.  Ill,  255. 

And  with  rich  spoyles  which  late  he  did  purchds  Sp.  Ill,  37. 

Live  she  forever  and  her  royal  P'ldces:  graces  Sp.  Ill,  66. 
-ed. 

In  saying  that  sacred  Angelica  G.  109a. 

My  heart  with  sighs,  mine  eyes  pleaded  with  tears  G.  165a. 

To  character  my  fore-passed  conflicts  K.  170. 

I  hear  the  wealthy  Jew  walked  this  way  M.  II,  42. 
-enty  -ence. 

As  this  Knight  seemes  by  greefe  tyed  to  silence  K.  198. 

Under  pretence  of  helping  Charles  the  Fifth  M.  II,  48. 

You  goodly  pines,  which  still  with  brave  ascent  Sd.  Ill,  4. 

His  liege,  his  Ladie,  and  his  lifes  regent  Sp.  Ill,  506. 
-en. 

Her  cheeks  swollen  with  sighs,  her  hair  all  rent  M.  II,  327. 


52  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

The  dismal  night-raven  and  tragic  owl  P.  I,  250. 

And  God  forbid  womtn  such  cattell  were  Sd.  Ill,  45. 
Happen,  M.  I,  60;  shorten,  M.  II,  194;  etc. 
-er. 

As  thy  butcher  is  pittiless  and  base  K.  91. 

And  lay  thy  hands  under  my  precious  foote  L.  251. 

Let  them  not  unrevenged  murder  your  friends  M.  II,  180. 

And  backed  by  stout  lanci&rs  of  Germany  M.  I,  117. 

And  ecchoes  three  aunswerd  it  selfe  again  Sp.  I,  165. 

And  there  to  hunt  after  the  hoped  pray  Sp.  Ill,  116. 
Batter,  M.  I,  154;  letters,  M.  I,   215;  slumber,  M.  I,  60; 
wavers,  M.  Ill,  158;  fathers,  Sp.  Ill,  155;  over,  Sp.  I,  228  ; 
unde*r,  Sp.  Ill,  151 ;  etc. 
-ess,  -est,  -ness. 

Virtue's  pure  mirrour,  London's  great  mistress  P.  I,  368. 

So  great  riches  as  like  cannot  be  found  Sp.  Ill,  208. 

Thou  art  assurde  that  thou  sawest  him  dead  K.  55. 

Besides  the  honour  in  assured  conquests  M.  I,  25. 

Then  how  may  thy  boldness  scape  a  fine  frump?  P.  II,  271. 

Live  long  and  long  witnesse  my  chosen  smart  Sd.  Ill,  3. 

Grief  of  good  mindes  to  see  goodnesse  disgraced  Sp.  Ill,  191. 
-eth. 

And  Bersabe  liveth  to  Israel  P.  II,  37. 
-ice. 

The  true  office  of  right  and  royalty  P.  I,  231. 
-ing. 

Thereby  meaning  to  worke  revenge  K.  344. 

Oh  now  I  see  he  was  learning  to  spell  L.  372. 

Strange  thoughts  possessed  her  rdnsackingher  breast  M.  111,49. 

Some  on  the  soft  greene  grasse  feeding  their  fills  Sp.  Ill,  72. 
During,  M.  I,  261 ;  fixing,  M.  Ill,  36  ;  heaving,  M.  Ill,  11 ;  etc. 
-ish. 

Millions  of  Turks  perish  by  Tamburlaine  M.  I,  195. 

Even  he  that  in  a  trice  vanquished  two  kings  M.  I,  56. 

Without  blemish  or  staine  Sp.  Ill,  302. 
-le,  -at,  -el,  -il,  -oil. 

Fetched  by  carvels  from  Egypt's  richest  streights  G.  169b. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  53 

And,  Haleb,  why  did  not  thy  harts  counsell  K.  182. 

Than  thou  hast  been  of  me  since  thy  exile  M.  II,  125. 

The  main  battle  of  harquebuze  on  foot  P.  I,  276. 

And  give  me  words  equdl  unto  my  thought  Sp.  Ill,  344. 

There  they  in  their  trindll  triplicities  Sp.  Ill,  344. 

But  then  she  seeks  with  torment  and  turmoyle  Sp.  Ill,  247. 

-071. 

To  whom  he  used  action  so  pitiful  M.  II,  322. 
Stir,  priest,  and  with  thy  beads  poisdn  this  stream  P.  I,  363. 
-or,  -our. 

How  could  thy  heart  harbour  a  wicked  thought  K.  225. 
He  cloathed  them  with  all  colours  save  white  Sp.  Ill,  139. 
In  hatefull  darkness  and  in  deep  hon*6re  Sp.  I,  290. 

-OS,  -OU8. 

Mighty,  glorious,  and  excellent, — ay,  these  G.  92b. 
-ow. 

And  foot  by  foot  follow  Theridamus  M.  I,  12. 
-ue,  -ure. 

We  may  ourselves  be  famed  for  verities  K.  198. 

These  wordes  argue  Pandora  to  be  light  L.  272. 

And  with  the  Jacob's  staff  measure  the  height  M.  I,  154. 

O  wicked  sex,  perjured  and  unjust  M.  II,  272. 

She  was  rescued  for  England's  happiness  P.  II,  345. 

The  weapons  which  Nature  to  him  hath  lent  Sp.  Ill,  79. 

With  rich  treasures  this  gay  ship  freighted  was  Sp.  Ill,  208. 
-ward. 

O  happy  Gods,  which  by  inwdrd  assumption  Sd.  II,  93. 
-wise. 

Let  it  likewise  your  gentle  breasts  inspire  Sp.  Ill,  255. 

Of  him  that  lived  worthy  old  Nestor's  age  G.  108b. 
Perseda,  farewell ;  be  not  angrie  K.  216. 
Sooth  to  say,  the  earth  is  my  Countrey  K.  170. 
But  if  thou  find  any  so  gross  and  dull  M.  Ill,  213. 
Myself,  poor  wretch,  mine  own  gifts  now  envy :  lie  M.  Ill,  166. 
Why  should  I  die  then  or  basely  despair  M.  I,  241. 
For  as  a  hot  proud  horse  highly  disdains  M.  Ill,  29. 


54  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

It  was  a  maid  of  my  country  P.  II,  370. 
Nor  pierce  any  bright  eye. 
That  wandereth  lightly  P.  II,  7. 

With  ugly  cloke  the  darke  envious  Night     Sd.  Ill,  10. 
I  have  a  wife  worthy  to  be  a  queene  Sd.  Ill,  45. 
For  many  have  err'd  in  this  beauty :  I    Sp.  Ill,  370. 
The  praises  of  my  parted  love  envy  Sp.  Ill,  223. 
Both  wise  and  hardie,  too  hardie,  alas  !  Sp.  Ill,  538. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

For  in  the  late  conflicts  with  Portingale  K.  4. 

As  he  did  leane  a  quite  contrdry  way  L.  344. 

Might  hinder  the  prospect  or  other  view  L.  371. 

And  scourge  their  foul  blasphemous  Paganism  M.  I,  132. 

Shall  make  all  nations  to  canonize  us  M.  I,  218. 

That  by  char  deters  graven  in  thy  brow  M.  I,  23. 

Philip,  if  these  forgeries  be  in  thee  P.  I,  266. 

The  sure  refuge'  by  thee  and  by  no  other  Sd.  Ill,  48. 

Choosing,  alas,  this  our  theatre  publike  Sd.  Ill,  49. 

Of  a  small  time  which  none  ascertaine  may  Sp.  Ill,  234. 

The  huge  massdcres  which  her  eyes  do  make  Sp.  Ill,  246. 

Their  huge  pyrdmids  which  do  heaven  threat  Sp.  Ill,  375. 


X.     SHAKESPEARE. 


The  genius  of  Shakespeare  is  nowhere  more  evident  than  in  his 
appreciation  of  the  accentual  possibilities  of  a  word.  Though  the 
examples  that  follow  will  not  be  found  to  differ  in  kind  from 
those  already  cited,  yet  some  compelling  force  in  the  swing  of 
Shakespeare's  verse  has  gained  for  many  of  his  metrical  pronuncia- 
tions a  recognition  not  so  readily  accorded  to  those  of  weaker 
verse.  The  lack  of  any  scientific  principle  to  account  for  these 
apparent  licenses  has  led  to  the  expression,  Shakespearian,  as  an 
all-sufficient  explanation  and  justification.  And  by  an  easy  shift 
in  connotation  it  is  assumed  that  Shakespearian  usage  means  the 
prose  usage  of  Shakespeare's  day.  Such  an  assumption  the 
examples  clearly  refute.  Metrical  tests  are  at  best  an  unsafe 
guide  to  prose  usage.  I  have  refrained,  however,  from  citing 
examples  in  which  Shakespeare's  prevailing  preference  for  the 
unusual  accentuation  seems  to  prove  it  the  prose  usage  of  his  day. 
In  some  cases  I  have  indicated  by  figures  the  proportionate  use  of 
the  two  forms  in  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  observe  it. 

COMPOUNDS. 

And  afterward  consort  you  till  bedtime   C.  of  K  1-2-28. 
That  cannot  be;  the  noise  of  thy  cross-b6w  3  H.  VI.  3-1-6. 
That  I  may  back  to  Athens  by  daylight  M.  N.  D.  3-2-433. 
Tell  me  thou  lov'st  eheivhere;  but  in  my  sight  Sonn.  139-5. 
Conceit  is  still  derived  from  some  forefather's  grief  R.  II.  2- 

2-35. 

But  her  foresight  could  not  forestall  their  will  Luer.  728. 
Alm6st,  Gym.  3-4-169 ;  also,  2  H.  IV.  5-3-146 ;  French  woman, 
3H.  VI.  1-4-149  ;  highways,  M.  of  V.  5-1-263  ;  himself,  H.  VIII. 
1-1-170 ;  mankind,  A  and  C.  4-8-25  ;  myself,  1  H.  VI.  1-3-91 ; 
outrage  (noun),  1  H.  VI.  4-1-126  ;  outstrip,  R.  III.  4-1-42  ;  some- 
thing, R.  and  J.  5-3-8;  sunset,  John,  3-1-110;  sweetheart,  H. 

55 


56  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

VIII.  1-4-98  ;  theref6re,  2  H.  VI.  2-3-52  ;  upright,  Venus  279 ; 
welcome,  R.  II.  2-3-170;  wherefore,  R.  and  J.  2-2-62;  etc. 

PROPER  NAMES. 

0  iny  good  lords,  and  virtuous  Henry  1  H.  VI.  3-1-76. 
Judas  Maccdbaeus  clipt  is  plain  Judds  L.  L.  L.  5-2-603. 
As  hardy  as  the  Nemean  lion's  nerve  Ham.  1-4-83. 

It  is  your  fault  that  I  have  lov'd  Posthumus   Cym.  1-1-114. 

Stand  back,  Lord  Salisbury, — stand  back,  I  say  John  4-3-81. 

Edmund,  Lear  2-1-114;  English,  1  II.  VI.  1-6-2  ;  Epicurean, 

A  and  C.  2-1-24 ;   Richard,  2  H.  VI.  2-2-27 ;  Smithfield,  2  H. 

VI.  4-5-10 ;  Talbot,  1  H.  VI.  1-1-128  ;  Westminster,  2  H.  VI. 

4-4-31  ;  Westmoreland,  1  H.  IV.  1-1-31 ;  etc. 

PREFIXES. 

Where  you  may  abide  till  your  date  expire  Per.  3-4-14. 
No,  let  the  candied  tongue  lick  absurd  pomp   Ham.  3-2-65. 
What  acceptable  audit  canst  thou  leave?  Sonn.  4-12. 
Can  ddvise  me  like  you  :  be  to  yourself  H.  VIII.  1-1-135. 
And  that  my  love  may  dppear  plain  and  free    Gent.  5-4-82. 
Who  cannot  condemn  rashness  in  cold  blood?  Tim.  3-5-53. 
Might  corrupt  minds  procure  knaves  as  corrupt    H.  VIII. 

5-1-133. 
I,  that  am  curtail' d  of  this  fair  proportion  R.  III.  1-1-18. 

1  d&riv'd  liberty.     O  by  no  means    Tim.  1-2-8. 

O,  send  some  succor  to  the  distressed  lord !  1  H.  VI.  4-3-30. 
Godfdrbid  any  malice  should  prevail  2  H.  VI.  3-2-23. 
Or  we  have  eaten  on  the  insane  root  Mac.  1-3-84. 
A  wise,  stout  captain,  and  soon  persuaded  3  H.  VI.  4-7-30. 
I  cannot  project  mine  own  cause  so  well  A.  and  C.  5-2-121. 
In  pursuit  of  the  thing  she  would  have  stay  Sonn.  143-4. 
To  be  spoke  to  but  by  the  recorder  R.  III.  3-7-30. 
To  requite  me  by  making  rich  yourself  Tim.  3-3-19. 
Upon  my  secure  hour  thy  uncle  stole  Ham.  1-5-61. 
Death,   traitor !    nothing  could  have  subdued  nature  Lear. 

3-4-72. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  57 

In  following  this  usurping  Henry  3  H.  VI.  1-1-81. 
Above,  Tim.  3-2-94 ;  adverse,  M.  for  M.  4-6-6  ;  again,  John 
4-2-1 ;  before,  R.  and  J.  5-3-90 ;  begins,  Lear  4-2-57 ;  benign, 
Per.  2-G-3  ;  beside,  between,  beyond;  cement,  A.  and  C.  2-1-48; 
chastise,  1  H.  VI.  1-5-12;  combated,  Ham.  1-1-61;  commenting, 
R.  III.  4-3-51  ;  commune,  M.  for  M.  4-3-109 ;  c6mpell'd,  H. 
VIII.  2-3-87 ;  complete,  H.  VIII.  1-2-118  ;  compact,  1:9;  con- 
fessor, M.  for  M.  4-3-133 ;  confined,  Sonn.  107-4 ;  congeal'd, 
R.  III.  1-2-56  ;  conjure,  18:9;  contrived,  0.  1-2-3  ;  conventicles, 
2  H.  VI.  3-1-166;  deflowered,  M.  for  M.  4-4-24;  delectable, 
R.  II.  2-3-7 ;  demure,  H.  VIII.  1-2-167 ;  despis'd,  Ham.  3-1-72  ; 
discourse,  1  : 30  -f  (L.  L.  L.  2-1-76) ;  distinct,  M.  of  V.  2-9-61 ; 
divine,  Cor.  4-5-110  ;  edict,  2:5(1H.  IV.  4-3-79)  ;  empirics,  A. 
W.  2-1-125  ;  enjoin'd,  A.  W.  3-5-97  ;  enshield,  M.for  M.  2-4-80; 
entire,  L.  L.  L.  2-1-131 ;  exact,  1  H.  IV.  4-1-46 ;  executors,  H. 
V.  1-2-203  ;  extreme  =  adj.,  extreme  =  noun ;  f6rlorn,  before  sub- 
stantive; maintain,  1  H.  VI.  1-1-71 ;  misdoubts,  L.  L.  L.  4-3- 
194;  impressed,  Lear  5-3-50;  interprets,  Tim.  5-4-69;  6bserv- 
£nts,  Lear  2-2-109  ;  6rdain'd,  Titus  5-3-22  ;  perfum'd,  3:5;  pr6- 
found,  3:9;  pr6gress  (verb),  John  5-2-46 ;  pr6tector,  2  H.  VI. 
2-1-21  ;  purvey6r,  Mac.  1-6-22 ;  relapse,  H.  V.  4-3-107  ;  r6- 
solv'd  A.  W.  2-1-207  ;  return,  Cor.  3-2-135 ;  sequestered,  Titus, 
2-3-75;  sincere,  H.  VIII.  1-1-153;  successors,  £T.  VIII.  1-1-60; 
supportable,  Tp.  5-1-145  ;  supreme,  7:2;  unfirm,  2  H.  IV.  1-3- 
73;  unseen,  Ham.  4-1-12;  utensils,  Tp.  3-2-104;  until,  upon, 
without;  etc. 

SUFFIXES. 

-ant,  -ent. 

These  are  portents ;  but  yet  I  hope,  I  hope  0.  5-2-45. 
-en,  -an,  -ain. 

When  lofty  trees  I  see  barren  of  leaves  Sonn.  12-5. 

This  beauteous  lady  Thisbe  is,  certdin  M.  N.  D.  5-1-131. 

Senseless  linen  !  happier  therein  than  I  Cym.  1-3-7. 

That  wants  the  means  to  lead  it.     News,  maddm  Lear  4-4-20. 

Who  talks  within  there?  ho,  op&n  the  door  !   C.  of  E.  3-1-38. 

The  mistress  which  I  serve  quickens  what's  dead  Tp.  3-1-6. 


58  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

With  powerful  policy  strengthen  themselves  3  H.  VI.  1-2-58. 

There  is  enough  written  upon  this  earth  Titus  4-1-84. 

And  if  your  wife  be  not  a  mdd-womdn  M.  of  V.  4-1-445. 

Is't  come  to  this?    Well,  well.    Go  to,  womdn  !   0.  3-4-183. 
-ery  -or. 

But  men  may  construe  things  after  their  fashion  J.  C.  1-3-34. 

That  dare  as  well  answer  a  man  indeed  Ado  5-1-89. 

Fair  Jessica  shall  be  my  torch-bearer  M.  of  V.  2-4-40. 

This  tyrant,  whose  sole  name  blisUrs  our  tongues  Mac.  4-3-12. 

Your  horse  stands  ready  at  the  pdrk-corne'r  3  H.  VI.  4-5-19. 

I  pray  you,  uncle,  give  me  this  dagger  R.  III.  3-1-110. 

Diseases  have  been  sold  dear&r  than  physic  Per.  4-6-105. 

And  so  to  arms,  victorious  father  2  H.  VI.  5-1-211. 

Should  dying  men  flatter  with  those  that  live?  R.  II.  2-1-88. 

What  cursed  foot  wanders  this  way  to-night  R.  and  J.  5-3-19. 
Better,  Per.  4-6-188  ;  6aves-droppe>,  R.  III.  5-3-221  ;  dwellers, 
Sonn.  125-5;  eve>,  Sonn.  19-14;  god-fath6r,  L.  L.  L.  1-1-88; 
flusteYd  0.  3-3-60 ;  further,  R.  and  J.  5-3-55  ;  glisters,  Venus 
275  ;  hither,  1  H.  VI.  1-2-51  ;  grasshoppers,  R.  and  J.  1-4-60  ; 
housekeeper,  Mac.  3-1-97;  child-killer,  8  H.  VI.  2-2-112; 
c6achmake>s,  R.  and  J.  1-4-69;  grandmother,  H.  V.  1-2-81; 
murdSr'd,  2  H.  IV.  4-5-168;  over,  Ham.  5-1-319;  purges,  /. 
C.  2-1-180;  sisters,  Per.  5-6-7;  swifter,  T.  and  C.  3-2-170; 
unde"r,  Ado  5-1-28  ;  valor,  Cor.  5-6-134 ;  etc. 
-ess,  -ness,  -est. 

And  make  proud  Saturnine  and  his  empress  Titus  3-1-298. 

Then  for  wealth's  sake  use  her  with  more  kindness  C.  of  E. 

3-2-6. 

Even  to  madness.     Tis  here  but  yet  confused  0.  2-1-320. 

That  married  with  Othello.     You,  mistress   0.  4-2-90. 

Fair  sir,  God  save  you !    Where  is  the  princess  ?  L.  L.  L. 

5-2-310. 

Dread  prince  of  plackets,  king  of  codpieces  L.  L.  L.  3-1-186. 

Or  Cytherea's  breath ;  ^\Q  primroses   W.  T.  4-4-122. 
-et. 

Which  should  sustain  the  bound  and  high  curvet  A.  W.  2-3-299. 
-ing. 

And  here  ye  lie  baiting  of  bombards,  when  H.  VIII.  5-4-85. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  Hhiglish  Verse.  59 

Thy  deeds,   thy  plainness,  and  thy  hdusekeeping    £  H.  VI. 

1-1-191. 

Two  ships  from  far  malting  amain  to  us  C.  of  E.  1-1-93. 

Being  purged  a  fire  sparkling  in  lovers'  eyes  E.  and  J.  1-1-197. 

With  open  mouth  swallowing  a  tailor's  news  John  4-2-195. 

Hath  sent  to  me,  wishing  me  to  permit  H.  VIII.  1-2-161. 

To  see  great  Hercules  whipping  a  gig  L.  L.  L.  4-3-167. 
Sh6ep-shearing,  W.  T.  4-4-69  ;  blood-shedding,  0  H.  VI.  4-7- 
108  ;  thwarting,  Per.  4-4-10 ;  etc. 
-is,  -ice,  -ish. 

Between  whose  endless  jar  justice  resides  T.  and  C.  1-3-117. 

Keep  some  state  in  thy  exit,  and  vanish  L.  L.  L.  5-2-598. 

Being  vex'd,  a  sea  nourished  with  lovers'  tears  R.  and  J. 

1-1-198. 
-le,  -el,  -il,  -ul. 

Doth  dogged  war  bristU  his  angry  crest  John  4-3-149. 

If  not,  the  end  of  life  cancels  all  bands  1  H.  IV.  3-2-157. 

The  consul  Coriolanus.     He  consul  I  Cor.  3-1-280. 

Now,  my  co-mates  and  brothers  in  exile  As  2-1-1. 

Thy  eye  kindl&l  the  fire  that  burneth  here  Luicr.  1475. 

How  she  came  placed  here  in  the  temptt  Per.  5-3-67. 
Channel,  1  H.  IV.  1-1-7 ;  circled,  Lucr.  407 ;  jewel,  0.  1-3- 
195;  nob!6,Per.  2-4-50;  stifled,  IT.  VIII.  4-1-58;  stumbled,  R. 
andJ.  5-3-122;  traveTd,  M.  for  M.  1-3-14;  etc. 
-on. 

Th'  offense  pardons  itself.     Dear  Isabel  M.  for  M.  5-1-540. 

Sir,  you  speak  nobly.     Why  is  this  reason' 'd?  Lear  5-1-28. 
-ow. 

Nay,  but  the  man  that  was  his  btd-fell6w  H.  V.  2-2-8. 

The  hope  of  comfort.     But  for  thee,  fellow  Cym.  4-3-9. 

As  pearls  from  diamonds  dropp'd.  In  brief,  sorrow  Lear  4-3-23.1 

And  I  a  maid  at  your  window  Ham.  4-5-50. 

1  There  should  be  no  question  about  the  division  of  the  lines  in  this  passage  : 

As  pearls  from  diamonds  dropp'd.     In  brief  sorrow 

Would  be  a  rarity  most  belov'd  if  all 

Could  so  become  it. 

Made  she  no  verbal  question  ? 
There  is,  of  course,  no  necessity  for  Capell's  insertion  of  sir  before  sorrow. 


60  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

-ume,  -une. 

To  make  perfumes'?  distill?  preserve?  yea,  so  Cym.  1-5-13. 
Who  knows  on  whom  fortune  would  then  have  smiled  2  H. 

IV.  4-1-133. 

•y,  -ev>  -fy- 

Shall  I  not  have  barely  my  principal  ?  M.  of  V.  4-1-342. 
But  now  is  black  beauty' }s  successive  heir  Sown.  127-3. 
Ill  blows  the  wind  that  profits  ndbody  3  H.  VI.  2-5-55. 
Do  with  their  death  bury  their  parents'  strife  R.  and  J.  Prol.  8. 
Leaves  Love  upon  her  back  deeply  distressed  Venus  814. 
I  will,  and  know  her  mind  early  to-morrow  R.  and  J.  3-4-10. 
Is  it  for  him  you  do  envy  me  so?  Shrew  2-1-18. 
Never  did  thought  of  mine  levy  offense  Per.  2-5-52. 
Let  him  alone,  or  so  many  so  minded  Cor.  1-6-73. 
And  with  their  helps  only  defend  ourselves  3  H.  VI.  4-1-45. 
And  didst  in  signs  again  parUy  with  sin  John  4-2-238. 
Come,  is  the  bride  ready  to  go  to  church  ?  R.  and  J.  4-5-33. 
Doth  to  our  rose  of  youth  rightly  belong  A.  W.  1-3-136. 
-wise. 

Most  of  the  rest  slaughtered  or  took  likewise  1  H.  VI.  1-1-147. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

His  rudeness  so  with  his  authorized  youth  Sonn.  35-6. 

And  his  comrades  that  daff  the  world  aside  1  H.  IV.  4-1-96. 

His  goods  confiscate  to  the  duke's  dispose  C.  of  E.  1-1-21. 

Come  to  the  king  and  tell  him  what  mirdcle  2  H.  VI.  2-1-61. 

The  fair  Ophelia !  Nymph,  in  thy  orisons  Ham.  3-1-89. 

Forestall  prescience,  and  esteem  no  act  T.  and  C.  1-3-199. 

And  with  a  look  so  piteous  in  purport  Ham.  2-1-82. 

A  juggling  trick,  to  be  secretly  open  T  and  C.  5-2-24. 

Tis  no  sinister  nor  no  awkward  claim  H.  V.  2-4-85. 
Adverse,  R.  II.   1-3-82;  character,  R.  III.  3-1-81;  conduct, 
Titus  4-4-65 ;  conflux,  T.  and  C.  1-3-7 ;  contrary,  9:17;  effigies, 
As  2-7-193;  precepts,  H.  V.  3-3-26;  purgative,  Mac.  5-3-55; 
remedy,  1  H.  VI.  3-1-51  ;  triumpher,  Titus  1-1-70 ;  etc. 


XI.— POST-SHAKESPEARIAN  VERSE. 


The  following  poets  have  been  chosen  to  represent  the  period 
between  Shakespeare  and  Milton  : — 

Alexander,  Sir   William    [Alex.].     Poetical  Works  in  3  vols., 

Glasgow,  1870. 
Browne,  William    [Br.].     Britannia's   Pastorals,    references   to 

Book  and  Song.     Minor  poems,  Chalmer's  English  Poets, 

vol.  vi.,  pp.  231-337. 
Chapman,  George.     Plays,  edited  by  K.  H.  Shepherd,  London, 

1874. 
Cowley,  Abraham,  [Cw.].     Poems,  in  Chalmers  English  Pods, 

vol.  vii.,  pp.  49-220. 
Crashaw,  Richard   [Cr.].     Works,  edited  by  W.  B.  Turnbull, 

London,  1858. 
Donne,  John  [D.].     Complete  Poems,  edited  by  A.  B.  Grosart, 

2  vols.,  London,  1872. 
Fletcher,  Giles    [G.  FL] .     Complete  Poems,  edited   by  A.   B. 

Grosart,  London,  1876. 
Herrick,  Robert   [Hk.].     Hesperides,  edited  by  Henry  Morley, 

London,  1885. 
Jonson,  Ben   [J.].     Works,  edited  by  Barry  Cornwall,  London, 

1838. 
Middleton,  Thomas   [Md.]      Works,  edited  by  Alexander  Dyce, 

5  vols.,  London,  1840. 
Shirley,  James  [Sh.] .     Selected  Plays,  edited  by  Edmund  Gosse, 

The  Mermaid  Series,  London. 
Suckling,  Sir  John  [Ski.].     Poems,  Plays,  etc.,  edited  by  W.  C. 

Hazlitt,  London,  1874. 

COMPOUNDS. 

The  pretious  treasure  of  that  swift  pastime  Alex.  I,  272. 
Or  some  wayfaring  man,  when  morning  dawns  Br.  Ill,  2. 

61 


62  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Vwse. 

Durst  look  for  themselves  and  themselves  retrieve  D.  II,  21. 
But  strive  so,  that  before  Age,  Death's  twylight  D.  I,  26. 
Only  a  garland  of  rosebuds  did  play  G.  Fl.  186. 
Next,  to  be  rich  by  no  bywdys :  days  Hk.  36. 
Herrick  keeps,  as  holds,  nothing :  sing  Hk.  92. 

PROPER  NAMES. 

Her  left  hand  held  a  knotty  Erdzil  bow  Br.  II,  3. 

A  thing  which  would  have  pos'd  Adam  to  name  D.  I,  30. 

Of  France  and  fair  Itdly's  faithlessness  D.  II,  22. 

By  silver-tongu'd  Ovid,  and  many  moe  D.  I,  50. 

Some  smooth  and  harmless  Bucolics:  intermix  Hk.  10. 

Than  on  the  sun  in  July :  newly  Ski.  I,  44. 

My  muse  had  plough'd  with  his  that  sung  Ajdx:  fakes  J.  679  b. 

PREFIXES. 

Whom  still  by  successe  treacherous  fortune  blindes  Alex.  1, 217. 

Where  flows  Lethe  without  coil  Br.  331  a. 

Who  to  the  life  an  exact  piece  would  make  Cw.  1 00  b. 

And  Caesar's  usurped  place  to  him  should  proffer  Cw.  132  b. 

The  old  dry  stock — a  despaired  branch  is  sprung  Cr.  58. 

Why  shouldst  thou  forget  us  eternally  D.  II,  338. 

How  farre  a  beauty  commands  reverence  G.  Fl.  257. 

And  in  that  sincere  crystal  seek  Hk.  50. 

Let  not  fond  men  thereafter  cdmmend  what  Sh.  106. 

SUFFIXES. 
-age,  -edge. 

When  plentie,  God's  imdge  and  seal  D.  II,  306. 

As  if  for  him  knowledge  had  rather  sought  Cw.  72  b. 
-ant,  -ent,  -ence. 

Vice-gods  on  th'  earth,  great  lieutendnts  of  heaven  Alex.  1, 221. 

To  him,  as  right,  for  wit's  deep  quintessence  Br.  II,  2. 

Th'  infdnt  of  London,  hey  re  to  an  India  D.  I,  7. 

Our  great  King  called  thee  unto  his  presence  D.  I,  162. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  63 

Of  all  pleasant  discourse  ;  they  are  the  keys  Md.  I,  184. 
-ass. 

If  I  trespdsse  in  ought  against  my  duty  Alex.  246. 
-dom. 

Of  His  and  Thy  kingddme,  thy  Sonns  invest  D.  II,  290. 
-ed. 

Hate  vertue  though  she  be  naked  and  bare  D.  I,  6. 

You  have  unto  my  store  added  a  booke  J.  704  b. 

Our  peace  must  have  her  cheeks  painted  with  blood  Md.  1, 302. 
-en. 

Whom  Honor  smoaks  at  once  fatten  and  sterve  D.  I,  178. 

Honest  children,  let  her  dishonest  be  D.  I,  62. 

Those  had,  pretend  sudden  departure,  you  J.  296  b. 
-er. 

Yet  honesty  in  end  ever  prevails  Alex.  I,  220. 

Your  rush  maugre  the  beard  of  winter  springs  Ch.  88  a. 

Disdains  to  think  that  heav'n  thunders  alone  Cr.  44. 

As  strange  attire  alters  the  men  we  know  D.  II,  34. 

And  doth  prescribe  manners  and  laws  to  nations  D.  I,  227. 

What  fits  Summer ,  what  Winter,  what  the  Spring  D.  I,  52. 

Hereafter  I  do  mean  wyser  to  bee  D.  I,  250. 

Durst  pull  the  skin  over  the  ears  of  vice  J.  133  b. 

His  spleen,  the  chirping  grasshopper  :  stir  Hk.  94. 

The  rest  should  every  way  answer  their  hopes  J.  296  b. 

And  doubt  whether  a  widow  may  be  saved  Sh.  189. 
-es,  -ess,  -est. 

And  with  soft  feet  searches  the  silent  rooms  Cr.  56. 

O  sweet  context  of  woes  Cr.  4. 

He  keeps  and  gives  to  me  His  deathe's  conquest  D.  II,  290. 

Joys  that  confess Virtue  their  mistress  Cr.  136. 

Of  primroses  and  violets  Hk.  150. 
-et,  -eth,  -it. 

Thy  beauties  (deare)  are  all  perfite  :  delight  Alex.  I,  81. 

And  with  her  arms  graceth  a  waistcoat  fine  Br.  I,  5. 

(With  Maccabee's  modesty)  the  known  merit  D.  I,  38. 

To  that  strumpet  the  stage  J.  701  b. 

Fullness  of  joy  sheweth  the  goodness  in  thee  Md.  IV,  22. 


64  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

-ful. 

But  as  in  states  doubtfull  of  future  hey  res  D.  I,  108. 
-hood. 

His  Godhood  was  not  soul  to  His  manhood  D.  II,  278. 
-ic. 

Of  physic  that's  physic  indeed  Cr.  118. 

Our  free  traffic  for  heaven ;  we  may  maintain  Cr.  74. 
-ing. 

Love  may  be  long  choosing  a  dart  Cr.  135. 

At  his  seeking  our  Quarrel  is  deferred  D.  I,  54. 

Should  portray  her  wanting  Apelles'  art  D.  II,  153. 

Whose  rage  meeting  with  yours,  none  can  prevent  Md.  I,  302, 
-ish. 

Look  up,  languishing  soul!    Lo  where  the  fair  Cr.  181. 

But  those  punish  themselves.     The  insolence  D.  I,  15. 
-le,  -al,  -el,  -il. 

And  in  this  labyrinth  exiPd  from  all  repose  Alex.  I,  99. 

Out  of  the  East  jewels  of  wealth  she  brings  Br.  II,  3. 

How  hath  one  black  eclipse  cancelled  and  crost  Cr.  45. 

A  name  in  noble  deeds  rival  to  thee  Cr.  43. 

The  physick  and  Councel  (which  came  too  late)  D.  I,  52. 

With  stifle  astonishment  tumble  to  Hell?   G.  Fl.  137. 
-on,  -or,  -ow. 

To  this  dark  house  of  shades,  horror  and  night  Cr.  50. 

Not  true  Treason,  but  Treason  handled  ill  D.  I,  55. 

If  she  be  a  wid6w  I'le  warrant  her  D.  I,  62. 

Newes  of  her  death ;  Heaven  itselfe  sorrowed  G.  Fl.  255. 
-ship. 

Sleep,  next  society  and  true  friendship :  slip  D.  I,  51. 
-ue,  -uge,  -ume,  -ure. 

To  troubled  souls  cannot  afford  refuge  :  judge  Alex.  I,  116. 

When  hers  I  taste ;  nor  the  perfumes  of  price  Br.  II,  3. 

Than  what  Nature's  white  hand  sets  ope  Cr.  134. 

And  made  me  overseer  of  his  pastures  Ch.  49  a. 

O  wretch,  that  thy  fortunes  should  moralize  D.  I,  48. 

Better  pictures  of  vice  teach  me  vertue  D.  I,  32. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  65 

>  -%• 

But  heaven  envied  the  earth,  that  one  it  so  should  grace  Alex. 

I,  143. 

A  hundred  thousand  goods,  glories,  and  graces  Cr.  64. 
Partly  the  stars  daily  and  nightly  motion  Ch.  145b. 
Him  onely  and  onlye  his  purse  D.  II,  200. 
By  having  leave  to  serve,  am  most  richly  D.  I,  46. 
And  like  to  garden  strdwberries  did  shine  G.  Fl.  167. 
A  match  worthy  yourself;  esteem  him  Md.  I,  172. 
Down  with  the  rosemary  and  bays  Hk.  222. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

And  lo,  lundticke-like  do  dash  on  every  shelfe  Alex.  I,  98. 

The  less  honesty  ever  the  more  wit  Ch.  69  a. 

For  service  paid,  authorized,  now  begins  D.  I,  46. 

Heaven  hither  or  constellate  any  thing  D.  I,  121. 

Buffet  and  scoff,  scourge  and  crucifie  mee  D.  II,  287. 

Should  make  thee  only  Love's  Hieroglyphic^,  D.  I,  54. 

And  can  convert  mannd  to  gall  D.  II,  186. 

Weav'd  in  my  love  devout  meldncholie  D.  II,  276. 

Here  all  her  rare  ardmatics:  commix  Hk.  318. 

Be  jealous  still,  aemidate  them;  and  think  J.  190 a. 

But  the  sinister  application  J.  129  a. 

Faugh!  wherefore  serves  modesty  but  to  pleasure  Md.  I,  346. 

Made  a  tridngle  with  their  swords  and  daggers  Md.  IV,  558. 

And  if  it  prove  fortfinate,  the  design  Sh.  76. 


XII.    JOHN  MILTON. 


A  careful  study  of  the  use  of  the  secondary  accent  for  ictus  in 
Paradise  Lost  may  be  found  in  the  dissertation  by  Brown,  already 
cited  (pp.  51-73).  The  examples  cited  below  illustrate  Milton's 
usage  with  more  fullness  and  in  all  his  poems. 

COMPOUNDS. 

And  in  my  midst  of  sorrow  and  heart-grief  8.  A.  1339. 

Of  Thammuz  yearly  wounded :  the  love-tale  P.  L.  1-452. 

The  yellow  cowslip,  and  the  pale  primrdse  S.  on  M.  M.  4. 

Dagon  his  name,  sea-monster,  upward  man,  P.  L.  1-462. 

In  such  a  scant  allowance  of  star-light  Com.  308. 

But  all  sun-shine,  as  when  his  beams  at  noon  P.  L.  3-616. 

The  musk-rose,  and  the  well  attir'd  wood-bine  Lye.  146. 

The  great  Work-Mdster,  leads  to  no  excess  P.  L.  3-696. 
Bond-woman,  P.  E.  2-308;  day-labour,  P.  L.  5-232;  else- 
where, P.  E.  1-458 ;  first-born,  P.  L.  1-510 ;  half-moons,  P.  E. 
3-309  ;  hell-fire,  P.  L.  2-364 ;  mankind,  35  :  1  (P.  L.  8-358) ; 
meanwhile,  28  :  4  (8.  A.  479) ;  mid-heaven,  P.  L.  3-729 ;  new- 
felt,  P.  L.  10-263  ;  sometimes,  P.  L.  9-824 ;  starpaved,  P.  L. 
4-976;  sword-law,  P.  L.  11-672;  ten-fold,  P.  L.  2-705 ;  there- 
fore, P.  L.  7-516 ;  upright,  9:4;  uproar,  4:0;  etc. 

PROPER  NAMES. 

Milton  was  doubtless  somewhat  influenced  by  classical  usage  in 
his  accentuation  of  foreign  words,  as  Brown  points  out  (p.  72). 
It  is  hardly  necessary,  however,  to  find  precedents  for  Milton's 
liberties ;  such  precedents  should  be  considered  suggestions  rather 
than  justifications. 

To  whom  thus  half  abash7 1  Addm  replied  P.  L.  8-595. 
On  Lemnos  th'  JEgean  ile :  thus  they  relate  P.  L.  1-746. 
Than  Ddlild,  thy  wife^  8.  A.  724. 
66 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  67 

Should  Israel  from  Philistian  yoke  deliver  8.  A.  39. 

OfPhilistean  Ddlildh,  and  wak'd  P.  L.  9-1061. 

That  evil  one,  Satdn  forever  damn'd  P.  R.  4-194. 

Thy  age,  like  ours,  O  soul  of  Sir  John  Cheek      Sonnet  6-12. 

And  Tiresias  and  Phineus,  prophets  old  P.  L.  3-36. 


PREFIXES. 

Said  he,  '  with  one  thrice  dcceptdble  stroke  P.  L.  10-855. 

Before  thy  fellows  dmbitious  to  win  P.  L.  6-160. 

She  that  has  that  is  clad  in  c6mplete  steel  Com.  421. 

In  confused  march  forlorn,  th'  adventrous  bands  P.  L.  2-615. 

And  corporeal  to  incorporeal  turn  P.  L.  5-413. 

The  divine  property  of  her  first  being  Com.  469. 

To  tempt  or  punish  mortals,  except  whom  P.  L.  2-1032. 

Therefore  thy  Mmilidtion  shall  exalt  P.  L.  3-313. 

With  impetuous  recoil  and  jarring  sound  P.  L.  2-880. 

That  invincible  Samson,  far  renown'd  8.  A.  341. 

Shoots  invisible  virtue  even  to  the  deep  P.  L.  3-586. 

Through  the  pure  marble  air  his  dblique  way  P.  L.  3-564. 

And  propitidtion }  all  his  works  on  me  P.  L.  11-34. 

And  this  ethereal  quintessence  of  heav'n  P.  L.  3-716. 

Lest  Paradise  a  receptdcle  prove  P.  L.  11-123. 

In  regions  mild  of  calm  and  serene  air  Com.  4. 
Against,  P.  L.  6-906  ;  among,  P.  L.  3-283 ;  dttribiited,  P.  L. 
9-320;  becomes,  P.  L.  12-409;  before,  P.  L.  8-464;  besides, 
Epis.  Winch.  4 ;  between,  P.  L.  7-473  ;  c6ngeard,  Com.  449  ; 
Empyrean,  P.  L.  6-833 ;  Extreme,  Com.  273 ;  obscene,  P.  L.  1- 
406  ;  pSrplext,  Com.  37 ;  supreme,  Com.  217 ;  towards,  P.  L. 
6-648  ;  unless,  P.  L.  8-186  ;  titensils,  P.  R.  3-336;  without,  P. 
L.  4-256 ;  etc. 

SUFFIXES. 

age,  edge. 

Which  of  us  who  beholds  the  bright  surfdce  P.  L.  6-472. 
Created  thee  in  the  imdge  of  God  P.  L.  7-527. 


68  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

Which  tasted  works  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  P.  L.  7-543. 
-ed,  -id. 

Then  self-esteem,  grounded  on  just  and  right,  P.  L.  8-572. 

From  that  placid  aspect  and  meek  regard  P.  R.  3-217. 
-en,  -ene,  -ent. 

Rankle  and  fester  and  gangrene  S.  A.  621. 

To  the  garden  of  bliss  thy  seat  prepared  P.  L.  8-299. 

The  mystery  of  God  giv£n  me  under  pledge  S.  A.  378. 

Bow'd  their  stiff  necks,  loadtn  with  stormy  blasts  P.  R.  4-418. 

Now  when  fair  morn  ori&nt  in  Heav'n  appeared  P.  L.  6-524. 
-es,  -ess. 

Cannot  without  process  of  speech  be  told  P.  L.  7-178. 

Unsung ;  or  to  describe  races  and  games  P.  L.  9-33. 
-est,  -ist. 

Tended  the  sick  busiest  from  couch  to  couch  P.  L.  11-490. 

Such  solitude  before  choicest  society  P.  R.  1-302. 

In  wood  or  wilderness,  forest  or  den  P.  L.  4-342. 

The  top  of  eloquence,  statists  indeed  P.  R.  4-354. 
-er,  -or. 

Whom  thus  answered  th?  Arch-fiend,  now  undisguised  P.  R. 

1-357. 

For  one  carrier  put  down  to  make  six  bearers  Univ.  Car.  2-20. 

Among  daughters  of  men  the  fairest  found  P.  R.  2-154. 

With  lucky  words  favour  my  destined  urn  Lye.  20. 

Of  truth  in  word  mightier  than  they  in  arms  P.  L.  6-32. 

Eve  rightly  called  Mother  of  all  mankind  P.  L.  11-159. 

To  do  aught  good  never  will  be  our  task  P.  L.  11-159. 

Have  they  not  sword-players  and  ev'ry  sort  8.  A.  1323. 

Himself  in  bonds  und£r  Philistiau  yoke,  S.  A.  42. 

By  the  waters  of  life,  where'er  they  sate  P.  L.  11-79. 
Later,  P.  L.  1-509  ;  oth£r,  P.  L.  5-884  ;  ov6r,  P.  L.  11-864 ; 
thither,  P.  L.  7-513 ;  whether,  P.  L.  5-532  ;  etc. 
-ing. 

As  when  two  polar  winds  blowing  adverse  P.  L.  10-289. 

Of  ewe  or  goat  dropping  with  milk  at  ev'n  P.  L.  9-382. 

Not  Typhon  huge  ending  in  snaky  twine  Nat.  226. 

The  hands  despatch  of  two  gardening  so  wide  P.  L.  9-203. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  69 

Silence,  and  sleep  listening  to  thee  will  watch  P.  L.  7-106. 

And  towards  the  gate  rolling  her  bestial  train  P.  L.  2-873. 

Till  on  a  day  roving  the  field,  I  chanc'd  P.  L.  9-575. 

And  flow'rs  aloft  shading  the  fount  of  life  P.  L.  3-357. 

The  tread  of  many  feet  steering  this  way  S.  A.  111. 

The  while  her  son  tracing  the  desert  wild  P.  R.  2-109. 

With  eager  thought  warbling  his  Doric  lay  Lye.  189. 
Arming,  P.  L.  11-374 ;  covering,  P.  L.  1-312 ;  fearing,  P.  L. 
12-15;  sailing,  P.  L.  3-520;  etc. 
-ish. 

But  to  vanquish  by  wisdom  hellish  wiles  P.  R.  1-175. 
-ive. 

To  dogs  and  fowls  a  prey,  or  else  captiv'd  8.  A.  694. 

And  eloquence,  native  to  famous  wits  P.  R.  4-241. 
-/e,  -alj  -el,  -il,  -ol. 

Dead  things  with  inbreathed  sense  able  to  pierce  Sol.  Mus.  4. 

That  all  these  puissant  legions  whose  exile  P.  L.  1-632. 

Of  many  a  coloured  plume  sprinktd  with  gold  P.  L.  3-642. 

But  if  thou  think  trial  unsought  may  find  P.  L.  9-370. 

In  their  triple  degrees,  regions  to  which  P.  L.  5-750. 

Universal  reproach,  far  worse  to  bear  P.  L.  6-34. 
Camels,  P.  R.  3-335  ;  Id6ls,  P.  R.  3-432  ;  temple's,  P.  R.  3-268. 
-ment. 

Yet  years,  and  to  ripe  years  judgment  mature  P.  R.  3-37. 
-om,  -on. 

Burnt  after  them  to  the  bottomless  pit  P.  L.  6-866. 

And  set  to  work  millions  of  spinning  worms  Com.  715. 

In  the  visions  of  God ;  it  was  a  hill  P.  L.  11-377. 
-ue,  -ume,  -une,  -ure. 

Not  to  know  me  argues  yourself  unknown  P.  L.  4-830. 

An  amber  scent  of  odorous  perfume  8.  A.  720. 

Riches  is  mine,  fortune  is  in  my  hand  P.  R.  2-429. 

Beyond  all  past  example  and  future  P.  L.  10-480. 

Or  God  support  Nature  without  repast  P.  R.  2-250. 

-y- 

Let  our  frail  thoughts  dally  with  false  surmise,  Lye.  153. 
The  glory  of  that  glory,  who  now  becomes  P.  R.  10-722. 


70  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

Why  are  you  vext,  lady,  why  do  you  frown?   Com.  666. 
Or  should  I  thence  hurried  on  viewless  wing  Pass.  50. 
And  to  rebellious  fight  rallied  their  powers  P.  L.  6-786. 
Duty,  P.  R.  3-175  ;  forty,  P.  R.  2-243 ;  etc. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

In  many  of  the  following  examples  Milton  shows  a  prevailing 
fondness  for  an  etymological  accentuation  : 

Present?)  thus  to  his  son  audibly  spake  P.  L.  7-518. 

Kefrain'd  his  tongue  blasphemous ;  but  anon,  P.  L.  6-360. 

If  stone,  carbuncle  most  or  chrysolite  P.  L.  3-596. 

And  that  crystalline  sphere  whose  balance  weighs  P.  L.  3-482. 

That  cruel  Serpent ;  on  me  exercise  not  P.  L.  10-927. 

Among  the  slaves  and  asses  thy  comrades  8.  A.  1162. 

In  sight  of  God's  high  throne,  gloridusly  bright  P.  L.  3-655. 

Irrecoverably  dark,  total  eclipse  8.  A.  81. 

Irresistible  Samson  ?  whom  unarmed  P.  L.  6-63. 

Bird,  beast,  insect,  or  worm  durst  enter  none  P.  L.  4-704. 

To  black  mortificdtidn  8.  A.  622. 

Spirits  odorous  breathes  :  flow'rs  and  their  fruit  P.  L.  5-482. 
Adverse,  8  :  4;  aspect,  10:  0;  blasphe"m'd,  3:0;  charactered, 
Com.  530 ;  consummate  (verb),  P.  L.  8-556 ;  contrary,  2:5; 
expert,  3:0;  exploits,  5:0;  consort  (noun),  P.  L.  7-529  (1:9); 
contest,  6:0;  contrite,  4:0;  converse  (noun)  3:0;  convex,  3:0; 
convoy,  Com.  81  ;  impulse,  4:0;  instinct,  3:0;  insults  (noun) 
P.  R.  3-190;  obdurate,  3:0;  product,  P.  L.  11-683;  prostrate, 
P.  L.  6-841;  quintessence,  P.  .L.  3-716;  Sepulcher'd,  Epi.  Shakes- 
peare, 15  ;  sol&nniz'd,  P.  L.  7-448  ;  triumph  (noun),  P.  R.  3-36  ; 
various,  P.  L.  5-473. 


XIII.     JOHN   DRYDEN. 


In  the  verse  of  Dryden  the  accentual  limitations  of  the  later 
pseudo-classical  and  critical  poets  become  apparent.  The  fresh- 
ness of  Chaucer  and  the  exuberance  of  the  Elizabethans  give 
place  to  the  restraint  of  the  more  conscious  artist ;  and  this  lack 
of  freedom  is  of  course  more  and  more  evident  in  the  poet's  atti- 
tude toward  his  instrument,  the  language.  Not  until  the  Eomantic 
revival  does  the  old  accentual  freedom  begin  to  return. 

Editions :  Poetical  Works  edited  by  W.  D.  Christie,  London,  1897. 

Dramatic  Works  edited  by  Scott  and  Saintsbury,  10  vols., 
Edinburgh,  1882. 

COMPOUNDS. 

Bestow,  base  man,  thy  idle  threats  elsewhere  II,  391. 
Out  of  the  solar  walk  and  Heaven's  highwdy  214. 
Like  this  New- Year,  whose  motions  never  cease  31. 
Meet  Heaven's  out-guards,  who  scout  upon  the  waste  V,  131. 
To  that  sea-shore  where  no  more  world  is  found  II,  331. 
So  much  self-love  in  your  composure's  mixed  V,  274. 
From  the  watch-tower  above  the  western  gate  II,  378. 
Thus  to  some  desert  plain  or  old  wood-side  79. 

PEOPEK  NAMES. 

The  ambitious  title  of  Apdstottc  250. 
Is  grown  in  B6thsheb6?s  embraces  old  111. 
The  Turk's  is  at  Constantinople  best  129. 
Forget  Fletcher  and  Ben  before  them  went  390. 
Nor  only  crowds,  but  Sdnhedrins  may  be  113. 

PREFIXES. 

Add  yet  to  this,  to  raise  you  above  hope  VII,  51. 

71 


72  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

Whilst  the  deep  secrets  beyond  practice  go  11. 

And  told  his  ghostly  confessdr  his  pain  259. 

In  fields  their  sullen  conventicles  found  231. 

Our  phoenix  queen  was  portrayed,  too,  so  bright  341. 

Night  came,  but  without  darkness  or  repose  79. 

SUFFIXES. 
-age. 

Or  if  you  think  marriage  will  not  reclaim  him  390. 
-er. 

The  empire  groans  under  your  bloody  reign  III,  461. 
-es,  -ess. 

Swift  of  despatch  and  easy  of  access  97. 

When  thick  short  breath  catches  at  parting  life  IV,  89. 
-ing. 

Where  they  run  forth  in  heaps,  bellowing  your  wonders  VII, 

35. 

With  his  last  hold  catching  whatever  he  spies  IV,  212. 

Would  dare  commend,  lagging  behind  his  fellows  VII,  40. 

With  the  honest  crows  pecking  your  traitors'  limbs  VII,  53. 
-le,  -alj  -il. 

May  not  your  fortune  be  like  theirs,  exiled  288. 

Close  by  their  fire-ships  like  jackdls  appear  55. 
-ow. 

Where  entered  by  some  school-fellow  or  friend  396. 
-ue. 

Not  to  know  me  argues  thyself  unknown  V,  149. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

As  none  but  traitors  and  blasphemers  know  229. 
Where  coin  and  first  commerce  he  did  invent  65. 
The  Dove  was  sent  to  view  the  waves'  decrease  136. 
To  hang  them  in  effigy — nay  to  tread  VII,  38. 
Or  I  a  villain.     Damned  infdmous  wretch  VII,  56. 
By  natural  instinct  they  change  their  lord  98. 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  73 

But  on  the  public  spend  the  rich  produce  327. 
How  long  they  had  been  cheated  on  record  200. 
In  vain  to  sophistry  they  had  recdurse  133. 
She  parcelled  out  the  Bible  by  retdil  200. 
They  gape  at  rich  revenues  which  you  hold  257. 
In  his  sinister  hand,  instead  of  ball  147. 
Your  cavalcade  the  fair  spectdtors  view  25. 
That  vice  triumphs  and  virtue  suffers  here  193. 


XIV.     CONCLUSION. 


As  a  result  of  the  foregoing  investigation  it  is  believed  that  the 
following  conclusions  have  been  established  :  — 

1.  All  our  poets,  from  Chaucer  to  Dryden,  have,  under  metrical 
exigency,  made  use  of  a  secondary  accent  which  may  have  been 
merely  potential  in  prose. 

2.  This  use  of  the  secondary  accent  for  ictus  in  Modern  Eng- 
lish verse  is  analogous  to  its  use  in  Anglo-Saxon  verse,  and  may 
be  considered  an  unbroken  linguistic  possibility. 

3.  The  availability  of  secondary  accent  for  ictus  removes  all 
necessity  for  non-caesural  "  inversion,"  which  accordingly  becomes 
a  figment  of  the  metrist. 

4.  There  is,  therefore,  no  need  of  the  uncertain  and  unscientific 
attempt  to  distinguish  between  "accent  shift"  and  non-caesural 
"  inversion."  l     The  question  of  "  inversion  "  having  been  elimi- 
nated, all  cases  of  "  accent  shift "  may  be  disposed  of  under  the 
rubric  of  secondary  accent. 

5.  All  cases  of  "level"  or  "hovering"  stress  (schwebende  Be- 
tonung)  may  likewise  be  accounted  for  as  due  to  the  rival  claims 
of  primary  and  secondary  accent  under  combined  logical  and  met- 
rical exigency. 

1  For  a  recent  example  of  such  an  attempt  the  reader  may  be  referred  to  Dr. 
Armin  Kroder's  study  of  Shelley's  verse  (pp.  48-63).     In  the  lines, 
And,  as  I  looked,  the  bright  omnipresence    Triumph  344. 
Lulled  by  the  coil  of  his  crystalline  streams    0.  W.  Wind  3,  3. 
we  have  "accent  shift,"  out  of  deference  to  Shakespeare  ;  in  the  lines, 
Because  we  are  fearless  and  free    To  Witt  Sh.  I,  27. 
And  from  the  waves,  sound  like  delight  broke  forth 
Harmonizing  with  solitude    /.  and  M.  24. 
we  have  inversion.     Again,  the  line, 

And  among  mighty  shapes  which  fled  in  wonder    L.  and  C.  VII,  10. 
reveals  "  accent  shift ;  "  but  the  line, 

Have  excused  much,  doubted  ;  and  when  no  doubt     Cenci  I,  3,  114. 
for  some  reason   contains  an   inversion.       Such   scansion   can   have   no  higher 
authority  than  the  caprice  of  the  metrist. 

74 


Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse.  75 

6.  Metrical  tests  (including  rime  tests)  cannot  be  considered 
safe  guides  to  prose  usage.  Though  it  is  not  impossible  that  a  few 
of  the  examples  here  given  may  represent  the  more  generally 
accepted  prose  usage,  yet  in  the  absence  of  indisputable  evidence 
from  other  sources  it  is  safer  to  assume  that  the  unusual  accent 
is  purely  metrical,  and  therefore  secondary. 

The  extensive  field  of  this  investigation  has  precluded  a  more 
minute  study  of  individual  poets  with  regard  to  their  position  and 
influence  in  the  development  of  our  verse.  It  is  obvious  that  the 
extent  to  which  a  poet  avails  himself  of  the  accentual  possibilities 
of  his  language  will  depend  upon  his  period,  his  environment,  his 
temperament,  and  the  nature  of  his  work,  and  that  the  interplay 
of  these  forces  makes  it  impossible  to  plot  a  sharply  defined  curve 
of  development.  Poets  of  the  same  period  will  be  found  to  differ 
widely,  poets  of  widely  different  periods  will  be  found  to  agree. 
The  accentual  freedom  of  Shakespeare  and  Milton  is  not  vouch- 
safed in  equal  measure  to  Sydney  and  Marvell,  yet  Sydney  and 
Marvell  enjoy  liberties  denied  a  Pope. 

But  after  the  personal  equation  has  been  eliminated  we  observe 
a  continuous  change  in  the  language  which  makes  inevitable  the 
great  difference  in  accentual  freedom  between  Chaucer  and  Wyatt, 
Shakespeare  and  Dry  den.  Each  period  shows  a  noticeable  decrease 
in  accentual  flexibility,  a  hardening  into  fixed  forms  from  which 
even  the  poet  feels  less  and  less  able  to  free  himself.  In  this  view 
the  superiority  of  Chaucer's  verse  over  that  of  Wyatt  may  not  be 
wholly  a  matter  of  genius.  Yet  genius  at  all  times  asserts  its 
freedom  from  convention.  In  the  Romantic  revival  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  we  meet  a  protest  against  this  increased  inflexibility 
of  the  language,  and  a  return  to  the  freedom  once  enjoyed  by  the 
masters.  But  this  new  freedom  must  not  be  considered  a  mere 
imitation  of  old  accentuations,  or  of  old  metrical  irregularities.  It 
is  rather  the  restoration  of  an  old  accentual  principle  that  is  still 
potent.  The  decline  of  this  freedom  may  be  considered  a  mark  of 
poetic  decadence.  At  present  we  observe  the  almost  complete 
domination  of  prose  usage,  any  deviation  from  which  must  be 
indicated  by  accent  marks  for  the  guidance  of  the  reader.  A 
characteristic  symptom  of  this  diseased  condition  is  the  popular 


76  Secondary  Accent  in  Modern  English  Verse. 

notion  that  there  is  something  grotesque  or  amusing  about  the  use 
of  secondary  accent  for  ictus. 

A  further  study  of  Modern  English  verse  from  Dryden  to  the 
present  day  would,  it  is  believed,  furnish  conclusive  proof  of  the 
tendency  of  true  poetry  at  all  periods  to  revert  to  the  principle  of 
accentual  liberty — thus  maintaining  a  perpetual  distinction  between 
the  language  of  poetry  and  the  language  of  prose. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH. 


I  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Maryland,  in  1875;  received 
my  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Baltimore;  and  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Johns  Hopkins  University  in  1898.  I  was  then 
appointed  Student  Assistant  in  English,  and  performed  the  duties 
of  reader  and  instructor  in  Rhetoric  and  English  Composition 
during  the  years  1898-1902.  In  1899  I  entered  the  English  Sem- 
inary, and  have  pursued  graduate  studies  in  English  during  the 
years  1899-1901,  1902-1904.  My  subordinate  subjects  have 
been  History  and  Philosophy.  In  1898-99  I  held  a  University 
Scholarship,  in  1903  I  was  appointed  Fellow  in  English. 

I  would  here  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  express  my 
appreciation  of  the  liberal  spirit  that  has  made  all  my  relations 
with  the  University  a  pleasure,  and  to  remember  especially  the 
personal  courtesies  of  Professors  Bright,  Greene,  Vincent,  Griffin, 
and  Dr.  Ballagh.  To  the  exacting  scholarship  and  unfailing 
patience  of  Professor  Bright  I  am  indebted  for  new  ideals  and 
the  courage  to  attempt  their  realization. 


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